July 24--DECATUR -- The Macon County Sheriff's deputy accused of reckless driving in an accident that resulted in a crash victim having his lower legs amputated, is now on unpaid suspension.
Macon County Sheriff Tom Schneider said Monday the suspension was effective immediately after the deputy, Brian Duff, agreed to it voluntarily.
Schneider said he was aware of some public sentiment that had seen people wondering why unpaid leave could not be imposed swiftly in the wake of the June 29 accident. Duff had been initially placed on paid leave. But Schneider said official procedures and agreements with the Fraternal Order of Police union don't immediately allow unpaid leave or suspension unless the officer involved is willing to agree and the union raises no objections.
"We asked him (Duff) to cooperate and he has and he has voluntarily gone on unpaid suspension," Schneider said.
Duff, 41, was arrested on a reckless driving charge July 17 after a crash investigation conducted by the Decatur Police Department blamed the deputy for allegedly being distracted at night when his squad car struck pedestrian Tom Lennox, pinning him against a parked pickup truck. Lennox, 55, suffered head and leg injuries and his lower legs were later amputated at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.
Schneider said an internal investigation by his department was now under way that would determine "any types of violations in reference to our standard operating procedure." That process will conclude with pre-disciplinary and disciplinary hearings, depending on its results.
"We hope to expedite the investigation but the bottom line is we have to work at a pace that allows us to figure out the violations and develop any information we need in addition to what we got from the city (Decatur police) investigation," he added.
Schneider said Monday he did not immediately know what Duff's annual wage was, but said entry level pay for deputies was around $40,000 a year.
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Copyright 2012 - Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill.
