KENT, Ohio  — A small-town Ohio police chief who drew an outsize following with his blunt, frequently humorous Facebook commentary is resigning days after being suspended, a township trustee confirmed today.

Brimfield Township Chief David Oliver resigned Thursday, and public comment was expected at a special trustees meeting scheduled this afternoon, said trustee Mike Kostensky, the panel’s liaison to the police department.

Kostensky confirmed that an investigation into gender discrimination led to Oliver’s suspension earlier this week, but the trustee wouldn’t discuss details.

The Brimfield Police Department near Kent serves about 10,000 northeast Ohioans, but “likes” on its Facebook page have grown from a few thousand to more than 177,000 in less than three years, fueled by Oliver’s conversational posts and increasing popularity.

That makes it one of the most-liked local law enforcement pages in the country.

Oliver announced his departure early today in a lengthy post on his individual Facebook page, in which he said untrue allegations had circulated and that his management style was used against him.

He didn’t specify accusations against him but said he “never once hugged an employee for ‘dirty’ reasons” and that most employees never complained of being “bullied” under his admittedly forceful leadership style.

“What you all are seeing now are some disgruntled people who are taking shots at me and have been since the (Facebook) page got bigger,” he wrote. “Two are current employees, some I have fired in the past and some just hate me because of my personality. Whatever the reason, they are out in force, like vultures, enjoying the scene.”

Oliver, who joined the department in 1994 and became chief in 2004, also said his work has taken a toll on him and that he suffers increasingly unpredictable panic attacks.

In a sign of his popularity, the post drew about 1,000 comments within two hours, nearly all of them messages of support, well-wishes or gratitude.

He became a local celebrity with catchphrases such as “No mopes,” a reference to his preferred term for criminals and other ne’er-do-wells. He also found his share of critics who said he was using work time inappropriately or shouldn’t have been discussing criminal suspects via social media.

Kostensky, one of three trustees, had praised the chief for connecting with the community. He said an interim chief probably will be picked from within the department.

First Published January 16, 2015, 4:26 p.m.