One Kingsport Police Department officer has resigned and two others have been recommended for termination after an internal investigation. Chief Gale Osborne said the officers mishandled beer confiscated from teenagers at a noisy house party last month.
Sgt. Gary Keene resigned on March 17th. Osborne recommended the termination of Cpl. Tim Horne and Officer Gerald Ray.
“When a Kingsport officer takes the oath, the expectation is very clear that all of our officers must maintain the highest level of integrity and uphold the public trust at all times,” Osborne said in a written press release issued Monday afternoon.
“Personnel issues are always tough for everyone involved, and I think it important to note that our police officers on balance do an outstanding job.
"But at the same time, I intend to continue this department’s strong track record of maintaining the highest level of honesty with the citizens we serve through compliance with the rules and regulations of this department and the City of Kingsport,” he said.
The matter is still under investigation and involves personnel issues, so the City will have no further comment, according to the release.
11 Connects submitted a Freedom of Information Act request last Tuesday, March 22nd. It asked for the following:
"A summary of arrests and/or disciplinary action faced by officers of the Kingsport Police Department in March of 2011 and all corresponding paperwork from said arrests – including but not limited to officers’ names, rank, and current working status."
The City responded on Monday with Keene's letter of resignation and a memorandum from Osborne to Human Resources Manager Barbara Duncan dated March 22nd.
According to that memo, Horne, Keene, and Ray responded to a noise complaint at a Kingsport apartment complex on February 5th. Ray confiscated beer from a group of teenagers and gave three cases of the seizure to Keene, "for his personal use."
Horne spoke with both officers about the exchange that night.
"At the end of shift, Horne reviewed and approved the report filed about the incident. In the narrative it states that the beer had been destroyed," Osborne said in the memo.
Sullivan County District Attorney General Greeley Wells said he spoke with Osborne about the incident, but his office will not pursue a criminal case against Horne, Keene, or Ray.
"I declined to ask the T.B.I. to look into this," Wells said.
City Spokesman Tim Whaley said Horne was employed for 18 years, Keene was employed for 30, and Ray was employed for about 18 months by the KPD.
Horne and Ray have the option of appealing the recommendation for termination, Whaley said.
Click the icons above to watch a live report from 11 Connects' 6 p.m. newscast, and a video report about Horne's history of official reprimand.
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