Greensburg police look to fill 2 vacancies after patrolman's resignation, former chief's arrest

Not even a month since the police chief resigned after being arrested on drug-related charges, the city of Greensburg has another vacancy on the force.

Council this week accepted Officer Shawn Miller’s resignation, effective Feb. 21.

Miller is leaving to accept another position, according to interim police Chief Donald Sarsfield.

Council ratified Sarsfield as interim chief, effective Jan. 25, and retroactively approved the resignation of former Chief Shawn Denning, effective that same day.

Denning’s departure has left another space to fill in the 27-member department roster.

Agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Denning at City Hall on Jan. 24 on charges of aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine, aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute controlled drugs from about June 2021 through October 2022.

Investigators obtained messages between a confidential source and Denning in which Denning is accused of connecting the source with out-of-state suppliers from whom the source purchased drugs, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Pittsburgh.

Denning also is accused of providing the source with menus and prices of available drugs, vouching for the drug suppliers and indicating he would vouch for the source with the suppliers so they would do business with the source.

Denning, who is free on $250,000 unsecured bond, didn’t respond to repeated attempts to reach him. His Pittsburgh attorney, Steven Townsend, has said the charges aren’t “reflective of Mr. Denning’s character or his history as a law enforcement officer.”

The case prompted the city to begin its own internal investigation. On Monday, Mayor Robb Bell and Solicitor Zachary Kansler said the city isn’t ready to comment about the investigation, which remains ongoing.

Denning had served with the Greensburg department since 2008. Miller will have served on the force for about a year.

A 27-year veteran of the police department, Sarsfield was promoted from sergeant to captain in June.

City officials said earlier this month that a member of the police department had been placed on desk duty.

City officials haven’t identified the employee in question. They said the desk assignment was “pending further review” and did not indicate that it was related to the Denning case.