Wood County deputy under investigation

5/13/2004

BOWLING GREEN - A Wood County sheriff's deputy faces possible discipline after being involved in a verbal confrontation with an umpire at a high school softball game last week.

Sheriff John Kohl said Deputy Greg Johns was on duty and in uniform at the game May 3 at Otsego High School between girls' teams from Otsego and Eastwood. During the game, Deputy Johns and others in the stands began heckling the umpire, who asked that the deputy be removed, the sheriff said.

The deputy left without further incident, the sheriff said.

Deputy Johns, who works in road patrol, was suspended for five days with pay while an internal investigation was conducted. He returned to work yesterday.

Sheriff Kohl said Deputy Johns' presence at the game was not a subject of the investigation, and he considered it part of his regular patrol duties. "It's just his conduct during the game," he said.

The sheriff said he would meet next week with Deputy Johns and a representative from the Fraternal Order of Police, the union which represents Wood County sheriff's deputies.