Saugus police Lt. cleared

SAUGUS – An internal investigation of a Saugus police lieutenant is expected to end soon after a criminal assault and battery complaint against him was dropped in district court on Wednesday, according to Police Chief Domenic DiMella.Lt. Howard Wheeler, 57, was the center of an investigation after he allegedly got into a fight with two other men outside the Fox Hill Yacht Club the night of Jan. 24.Police were never called to respond to the fight, but police officials got wind of the alleged incident after one of the men involved took out a complaint alleging assault and battery against Wheeler in Lynn District Court. Wheeler filed a cross complaint against the two men.According to DiMella, a clerk magistrate held a closed-door hearing with the three men and decided not to go forward with the case. Wheeler and the other men were never officially charged with a crime.”It all got tossed out,” DiMella said.Because of that, the chief expects the department’s internal investigation of Wheeler will come to a close and the lieutenant will not face disciplinary action.”It will be closed as soon as I get the final report from my superior officers,” DiMella said.Court officials declined to talk about the hearing because they said it was not open to the public.DiMella confirmed one of the men involved in the alleged fight is a former town auxillary police officer but would not name the men publicly.