(From WEEK News 25) - Two Woodford County deputies are back on the job after a state police investigation of alleged police brutality found no wrong-doing.
The deputies, Adam Ragon and Doug Fletcher, were among five officers who responded to a domestic dispute in Washburn last August.
The suspect, Kenny Meinders, ended up in the hospital for a month after authorities say he fought the arrest and tried to disarm them.
Three other part-time officers with the Washburn department are still on leave.
But the Woodford deputies are back to work after an independent state police investigation determined they acted within the bounds of their training to regain control of the confrontation.
The attorney for the deputies, James Daniels, said, "They used the right amount of force given what they were confronted with. They did the right thing and everyone who was alarmed, everyone who was fearful, everyone who was paranoid that there were just these rogue deputies can now be reassured. "
Daniels is an attorney with the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council
He said the implication that law enforcement had an alternative to using force was unfair.
He said the deputies did not use lethal force even when the Washburn man tried to disarm them.
Meinders is awaiting trial on a variety of charges.
The case has ignited a debate about police brutality in the small town.
The future of the community's police department will be up for discussion at a commission meeting on Thursday night.
