Toledo police officer Makinnah Billegas resigned effective Oct. 28, 2026, after two internal investigations found she willfully violated the law, engaged in conduct unbecoming of an officer, and violated restricted telecommunications rules.

The resignation followed an August traffic stop in which an officer stopped a vehicle registered to Billegas that was being driven by James Moore, a convicted felon barred from possessing a firearm. A search of the vehicle found Billegas’s loaded duty weapon in the locked glove compartment. Moore was arrested following the stop.

According to the investigation report, Billegas contacted officers and asked them not to take the firearm or make a report.

Billegas was also found to have performed a search of the department’s database at another person’s request, violating restrictions on the use of the law enforcement database.

Toledo Police Chief Kevin Braun said: “We expect every officer to uphold the law and meet the standards of this department. When an officer falls short of those expectations, we have the responsibility to address it and hold them accountable. That responsibility is something we take seriously.”

The separate criminal investigation remains active, a Toledo police spokesman said.

Leaders of the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association did not respond to a request for comment.

The Blade first reported the resignation on Nov. 12. ToledoBuzz had previously mentioned the story only in a headline in the Nov. 12 Morning Briefing; this is the full story.

Source: The Blade (Nov. 12, 2026)

Police car with emergency lights on. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.