A suburban Milwaukee police chief placed on paid leave for months as part of an internal investigation has been charged with a felony count of misconduct, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
The charge was detailed in a Nov. 6, 2025 piece that appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. According to the story:
Greenfield Police Chief Jay Johnson, 58, of Wind Lake, is charged with one count of misconduct in public office, according to the Nov. 4 complaint.
Documents allege Johnson used a police pole camera at his Racine home despite being told not to by his superiors. The City of Greenfield placed Johnson on leave on April 25, pending a review of workplace concerns.
Johnson called a news conference on May 8 and denied the allegations. During the conference, Johnson said claims against him included the unauthorized use of a camera at his residence, berating a union employee and creating a hostile work environment.
If convicted and sentenced to the maximum penalties, Johnson will receive 3.5 years in prison and be fined $10,000.
Prior to the charge being filed, the City of Greenfield did not release any updates on the Johnson case.
Open records requests filed by the Journal Sentinel have been partially denied, with city officials citing the ongoing investigation as the reason.
A Sept. 11 email from Human Resources Director Julie Foley to the Journal Sentinel said the city’s internal investigation into Johnson remained ongoing. Foley added that the city will issue a public update when possible and thanked the community for its patience.
