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OSAGE COUNTY - An Osage County Sheriff's Department deputy lost his job Friday night for driving while intoxicated while on duty.
Around 9 p.m., on-duty Deputy Dana Dawson crashed his sheriff vehicle along State Route 89 in Osage County.
The deputy's blood alcohol content, .180, was more than twice the legal limit.
"He just made a mistake," Osage County Deputy Gary Storey said. "Bad decision, bad judgment and it come back to haunt him."
Around 10 p.m. Friday, Dawson saw a deer and swerved off Highway 89 near Linn, crashing his squad car.
When the highway patrol arrived at the scene, they found the county's only on-duty deputy intoxicated and in an embankment.
"There's no excuse for what happened," Storey said. "As the boss says, it's just one of those things you just can't fix."
Dawson, a four year veteran with the department, lives in Belle.
The driveway where neighbors said he always parked his squad car, now sits empty.
"He's devestated and so is she," Dawson's sister-in-law Kathy Basham said. "And he was a good deputy and officer."
Dawson's neighbor agreed.
"Wouldn't expect that from him at all," David Stovall said. "He seemed like a good man and a good neighbor."
Meanwhile the halls at the once eleven, now ten strong police force feels somber.
"We're very small, we're just a small department," Storey said. "You know we look after each other. We're all pretty shocked and saddened."
Sheriff Carl Fowler said they'll charge Dawson to the full extent of the law.
He'll also have to reimburse the department for damages to the police vehicle.
Reported by: Kevin Lewis
Edited by: Tara Grimes
Reported by: Lauren Mickler
Published: Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 7:07 PM
Last Updated: Monday, November 9, 2009 at 8:30 AM |
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