This story has been updated to include new information.
LAFAYETTE, IN — An off-duty Tippecanoe County sheriff’s deputy parked his patrol car at a restaurant near Interstate 74 in Crawfordsville on July 4, leaving his family pet in the back seat as he went inside to eat.
Someone reported the dog in the car to the Crawfordsville police at 2:20 p.m. July 4. An officer arrived at the scene and reported the back windows were cracked, Crawfordsville Assistant Police Chief Ryan Teeter said Aug. 6. The dog was not panicked and showed no signs of distress, Teeter said.
The officer watched the Tippecanoe County car until the deputy returned and left, Teeter said, noting there was nothing criminal in the matter, and the dog was not injured or endangered.
It didn’t take long after the deputy’s late lunch for a social media post about the dog to appear, sparking comments.
“The deputy that drives that vehicle heard about the (social media) post and self-reported to a shift commander,” Tippecanoe County Sheriff Bob Goldsmith said Wednesday, Aug. 6.
“The matter was handled internally,” Goldsmith said. “There’s no suspension. There’s no reduction in rank. There’s not a complaint, but we did look into it.”
“I understand the public’s frustrated and upset about the situation,” Goldsmith said. “I was, too, when I saw it. Once I saw it I made a phone call. That officer already reported it.”
The Journal & Courier is not naming the deputy because he has not been arrested or charged with a crime.
The deputy is allowed to drive the patrol vehicle anywhere in the state, even for personal use. But if the vehicle is driven 70 miles from the county line for personal use, the deputy is required to pay for the gas, Goldsmith said when asked about the take-home vehicle policy.
Goldsmith noted that rather than calling the department and filing a complaint, people chose to leave snarky comments on social media posts.
“They’ve complained on social media. Nobody’s called us,” Goldsmith said.
“This is a case of everybody wants to go to social media and complain, when the correct course of action would have been to call the agency,” he said.
Because no complaint was filed with the sheriff’s department, no public records exist for the public to inspect about the incident, Goldsmith said.
Goldsmith misspoke Wednesday when he said the deputy has no prior discipline incidents. He called Thursday to set the record straight: The deputy has been suspended on two occasions.
The first was for a complaint about speeding, Goldsmith said. The second was for not turning in evidence for a case at the end of his shift, the sheriff said.
Goldsmith confirmed some of the allegations posted on social media but noted that the deputy left the back windows cracked, left water inside the car for the dog, and the deputy has a reputation for keeping the inside of his car uncomfortably cold in the summer.
The deputy was seated at a window in the restaurant’s dining room and could see the vehicle, Goldsmith said, noting the deputy did not see anyone approach the vehicle to check on the dog.
Indiana Open Records Laws allow for public inspection of records if a public employee is disciplined. The Journal & Courier requested the deputy’s name based on his prior suspensions.
Additionally, if a complaint had been filed, the law requires the agency to release the factual circumstances of the case, the names of the people involved, the officers involved, and whether there was an arrest.
Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Family dog unharmed in Tippecanoe County police car while deputy ate at restaurant last month
Reporting by Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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