Thursday, February 10, 2000
Accused firefighter to stay on duty
Officer charged with DUI
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE and SHEILA McLAUGHLIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — A high-ranking Mason firefighter who was charged with drunken driving this week remains on duty but is barred for now from driving department vehicles.
City Manager Scot Lahrmer said Wednesday he won't consider disciplinary action against Lt. Vickie Kling until her court case is decided.
“We need to do our own investigation of this incident before any disciplinary action is taken,” Mr. Lahrmer said.
“For the time being, she has been assigned to do administrative work and serve as a backup paramedic.”
Lt. Kling was off duty when she was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Sunday after a Warren County sheriff's deputy reported observing her car weaving at Western Row and Stitt roads.
Sheriff's records indicate that Lt. Kling refused to take a breath test, a refusal that results in an automatic suspension of a person's driver's license.
“Right now it's just an allegation of drunken driving,” said Charles Rittgers, Lt. Kling's attorney.
“From the investigation that we've conducted so far, the facts of the case don't justify her arrest.”
Lt. Kling, who could not be reached Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday in Mason Municipal Court.
A pretrial hearing is expected to be scheduled in the next couple of weeks, Mr. Rittgers said.
A member of the Mason Fire Department since Oct. 1, 1998, Lt. Kling worked for the Mason-Deerfield joint fire district for three years before it split.
She is one of eight full-time employees in the department and serves as a supervisor to the emergency medical technicians.
Her arrest comes four weeks after two off-duty Deerfield Township firefighters were involved in a crash on Mason Montgomery Road.
Christopher Ellis, 23, a part-time volunteer with Deerfield Township Fire Rescue, has pleaded not guilty to drunken driving, obstructing official business, falsification, reckless operation and failure to stop after an accident.
His passenger, Christian Elliott, 24, also a part-time Deerfield firefighter, was charged with a misdemeanor charge of obstructing official business.
Both are working, but were barred from driving on duty while their cases are in court.
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