Monroe County Sheriff Wants Sgt. Fired

(BLOOMINGTON) – Monroe County Sheriff Brad Swain wants to fire Sgt. Shawn Karr.

Sheriff Swain told the merit board Wednesday that Karr has come to work twice under the influence of alcohol, lied about the status of pending cases and has used another officer’s body-worn camera.

The board set a public hearing on the case for Dec. 21st.

In August, Swain took away the sergeant’s detective duties after Karr totaled two police vehicles – a Ford Fusion and a new Dodge Durango and refused to take a breath test after the second accident, which happened on May 22nd in Lawrence County.

Lawrence County Sheriff deputies responded to a crash on State Road 37 at 10:39 p.m. According to police, 53-year-old Karr, of Mitchell, was traveling south on State Road 37 in the department’s new Dodge Durango SUV when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a guardrail.

Sheriff Swain asked the Lawrence County deputy to administer an alcohol breath test to Karr. Karr refused to take it.

The Lawrence County deputy did note in his report that Karr showed no signs of being intoxicated.

Sheriff Swain told the board that Karr reported to work under the influence of alcohol on June 20th.

Then on Friday, Oct. 22nd, a fellow deputy reported they could smell alcohol on Karr’s breath. Karr was given a breathalyzer five hours later and it indicated that at the time Karr arrived at work at 6:45 a.m. he had a blood-alcohol of 0.09 percent over the legal limit.

Karr is also accused of providing false information to a supervisor on Sept. 21st on an active case and on Oct. 8th regarding the use of another officer’s body camera.