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Erin McDaid-Kelly, chairman of the Bark Shanty Days Committee that organized the three-day festival, and her husband, Dan Kelly, a festival volunteer and local businessman have sent letters to the Port Sanilac Village Council and the village attorney criticizing the actions of Police Chief Rod Jaskowski, and comments to the press made by Fire Chief Jack Willis.

Village President Andy Fabian acknowledged that the village received the letters, and, as of Monday morning, was waiting to hear from the village attorney.

"It obviously involves our employees, and that's something we're careful to make sure things are done right," said Fabian. "I'm not saying there's an investigation, but we're concerned about the letters and issues at hand the night of the festival. There are always two sides to every story, as you very well know."

Fabian said he had left messages for the village attorney to contact him. "We're just waiting for information," he stated.

The arrests occurred during the Rock the Docks Festival concert at the Harbor Park on July 19. The concert, which was scheduled to feature seven rock bands, had just started in the gazebo when there were complaints about the heavy metal-style music from the beer tent run by the fire department.

"At the time Officer Jaskowski arrived at the park I was already in the process of stopping the music because of complaints from members of the fire department and beer tent staff," Mc-Daid-Kelly stated in her letter of July 23. "The music was at a natural break between bands and I was discussing options for other music for the rest of the night.

"Officer Jaskowski arrived and proceeded to attempt to take over. He stated that he was 'shutting it down', yet made no effort to make a public announcement. As I was speaking with various band members to explain the situation another band member began testing his drums believing he was supposed to play next.

"A moment later I heard a strange noise and turned around to see Officer Jaskowski assaulting the drummer, throwing him to the ground, and arresting him. At no time did I see the drummer make any threatening gestures toward Officer Jaskowski or attempt to resist arrest," she said.

In separate letter to the council dated July 24, Daniel Kelly wrote, "Officer Jaskowski was standing next to me in the parking lot area when the drumming began. He looked up and moved swiftly from the parking area into the park and the gazebo. I followed him into the park where I watched him as he grabbed a cymbal and stand and threw it out of the way. He then forced himself through the drum kit, snatched the drumsticks away from the drummer and tackled the drummer backwards off the stool on the cement where he dragged the drummer onto the grass and began yelling 'Stop Resisting, Stop Resisting!' At no time did the drummer ever take a swing at Officer Jaslowski and the drummer never showed any signs of attempting to resist the officer."

Kelly concluded the letter, "I am asking the village council to place Officer Jaskowski on leave from his duties and begin the proceedings required to remove him from the office he holds."

David Boyer, a member of the Bark Shanty Days Committee, told the News he also witnessed the incident.

I was probably 10 feet away from the whole incident," said Boyer, a Sandusky resident and Port Sanilac property owner.

"I was arranging with the announcer to announce (that the concert was cancelled). At that point, the drummer was setting up for the next set...As soon as he started playing the drums I turned around...and saw the officer running over ,pushing the fellow against the cymbals into a pole, ended up going over the back of the gazebo onto the ground."

When Boyer made a comment to another police officer about what he had just witnessed, he claimed "Officer Jaskowski looked up and said, 'I've got another set of handcuffs, do you want to go to jail, too?"

Boyer added, "He (Jaskowski) basically attacked this guy. I couldn't believe it was happening. It was unreal."

The drummer, Thomas Petipren of Almont, a 29-year-old mechanical engineer with General Dynamics, said he was warming up because "there was no announcement, nobody told me (the concert was off)." He saw the police chief approaching and then, "he charged me...dove right at me."

Petipren said he was transported to the Sanilac County Jail and booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting and obstructing police. He was released immediately on bond, and told his arraignment date in district court would be Aug. 19.

Petigren denied doing anything wrong, and said he was contacting potential witnesses to fight the charges. He expressed concern the incident could jeopardize his job because General Dynamics holds contracts with the Department of Defense.

The Kellys responded to the park after getting a phone call from the organizer of the beer tent, Jim Matson. Matson told the News he was concerned about hard rock music being played in what was supposed to be a "family atmosphere" in the park.

Fire Chief Jack Willis was also upset about the music and the crowd that it attracted.

"I could see there could be problems," said Willis. "I thought things could get out of hand very easily."

Willis added, "the music, if it was music was bellering and pounding. It wasn't music for a family group or people that were sitting and having a few drinks and talking. I informed him (Jaskowski) that Jim and I would shut the beer tent down (if the music continued)...My personal opinion is they (beer bent customers) were disgusted with it. There were people that didn't get out of their cars. We just decided it couldn't go on or there would definitely would be problems. With that type of crowd...mostly underage...I got a little leery."

In her letter, McDaid-Kelly stated, "It is my hope that the Village will take whatever actions are necessary to rectify this situation and minimize the damages that have already been done to the gentlemen who were arrested and to the Village itself. I also hope that Officer Jaskowski's actions...will be thoroughly scrutinized when determining (his) ability to continue as...Chief in Port Sanilac."

She was also critical of Willis, for statements he made in a July 24 article in the Sandusky Tribune. She claimed comments in the article by the police chief and fire chief showed they "are clearly bigoted against those who are different from themselves" and "the disgrace would be if the Village continues to allow people such as Mr. Willis and Officer Jaskowski...to be in such dominant leadership positions."

Willis declined to comment on Erin Kelly's allegations.

Jaskowski did not return several messages left on his answering machines at the office and at home.

No details were available on the second arrest.

This is the second incident within a year that the council has heard complaints about the police chief. In December, village resident John Kelke complained about being arrested outside the council chambers, while the council was in a closed session for the purpose of hearing citizen complaints against the police department.

The council voted to not take any disciplinary action against Jaskowski or the other officers involved in the arrest.

Kelke petitioned the circuit court for a personal protection order against Jaskowsk following the incident. The petition was dropped after Kelke moved to Florida for the winter. Kelke alleged the chief threatened to arrest him several times over a fence he had built on his property. Kelke claimed when he attempted to enter the council chambers on Dec. 12, after receiving a letter from the village president, he was assaulted by officers.