Former deputy’s dismissal upheld by arbitrator

Posted on May 7, 2015
Shaun O'Grady, former McLean County Sheriff's deputy
The dismissal of former McLean County Sheriff’s deputy Shaun O’Grady has been upheld by an arbitrator. (Photo courtesy McLean County Jail)

By Joe Ragusa

BLOOMINGTON – A former McLean County Sheriff’s deputy will not be allowed back on the force after an arbitrator sided with then-Sheriff Mike Emery’s decision to let the officer go.

Emery fired Shaun O’Grady, 34, in Jan. 2014 for lying about an accident involving O’Grady’s squad car. The accident happened in Nov. 2013 when O’Grady parked his squad car on the side of a highway in rural Colfax as the sun was setting.

O’Grady turned his lights off and got out of the car to see if he had a breathalyzer in the passenger-side of the car. The arbitrator, James Cox, said O’Grady’s actions were very unusual given that O’Grady could have either gone back to the station to see if his equipment was there or use his radio to ask someone at the station if he had checked the equipment out.

A pickup truck hit the back of O’Grady’s squad car and the driver was given numerous citations based on false statements O’Grady made about how much of his squad car was blocking the road. Those tickets have been dismissed.

O’Grady is due in court May 26 for a status hearing on criminal charges related to the accident.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].

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