Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds has provided information about the arrest of one of his deputies July 8 for domestic violence and about LCSO disciplinary actions the deputy faced earlier this year.
Deputy John Puckett, 29, of Kenton, was arrested by officers of the Kenton Police Department after his wife reported that a “domestic situation” occurred shortly before 10 p.m. between the couple at their home.
Mrs. Puckett, a Hardin County Sheriff’s deputy, used a smartwatch to contact a fellow deputy who drove her to the KPD office shortly after the altercation, according to a KPD arrest report provided to the Examiner by Sheriff Dodds.
She told police a verbal argument that began over her husband continuing to use a cell phone on his ex-wife’s account escalated and turned physical.
Mr. Puckett reportedly smacked his wife’s forearms and hands, knocking items she was carrying out of her hands as she was attempting to leave for work. He also blocked a doorway and told her she could not leave the residence until she apologized.
Police noted her arms were “slightly reddened.”
Puckett’s wife told police she told her husband he needed to stop his behavior before he goes to jail, to which he reportedly replied, “I don’t care, take me to jail, it will take the whole police department to arrest me.”
Mrs. Puckett claims her husband slammed a bathroom door, which resulted in a mirror breaking. She then collected her things and was able to leave the residence.
She further told police there had been past physical altercations where her husband “slammed her head into stuff in the past and pushed her up against things.”
Police, assisted by Hardin County Sheriff’s deputies, went to the Puckett residence, where Mr. Puckett was arrested without incident around 11 p.m.
In addition to domestic violence, Puckett was also charged with unlawful restraint. Both charges are misdemeanor offenses.
Mr. Puckett told police his wife had pushed him during the argument and that he had punched the bathroom mirror.
Both parties denied physical contact with the other during the altercation.
Sheriff Dodds placed Puckett on paid administrative leave as per the collective bargaining agreement with deputies pending the outcome of his case. Additionally, the sheriff has started an internal investigation of Deputy Puckett.
Sheriff Dodds said the sheriff’s office wants to be “completely transparent” with the public concerning Deputy Puckett’s on-the-job conduct.
Dodds said Puckett was disciplined for inappropriate conduct in his handling of a Jan. 3 traffic stop after receiving a citizen complaint about the matter.
The complainant stated Puckett was “confrontational, aggressive and used profane language” during the traffic stop, adding Puckett was “not only wrong in issuing a criminal summons but also extremely rude and unprofessional.”
The sheriff said following an investigation by his office about the traffic stop, Puckett received a 10-day suspension without pay and had to comply with other administrative directives.
Puckett had received written reprimands and was ordered to receive counseling more than three times over a 14-month period prior to January traffic stop incident, sheriff’s office disciplinary records show.
The deputy was found to be in violation of a sheriff’s office code of conduct which states “any behavior that brings reproach or discredit upon the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.”
Puckett filed a report stating that while his patrol vehicle was stationary, with overhead lights activated, around 11:38 a.m. Jan. 3 on U.S. Route 33 W. at U.S. Route 68 he observed a westbound vehicle in the right lane pass his vehicle in violation of Ohio’s “Move Over” law.
When Puckett initiated a pursuit and attempted to catch up to the initial vehicle, according to his report, another westbound vehicle — a Honda minivan — traveling in the right lane of U.S. 33 also failed to pull over in violation of the law.
“Due to the Honda refusing to pull over, I had to get in the left lane and pass it in order to catch up with the other vehicle I was attempting to stop,” Puckett stated in his report.
The deputy also reported he “did not observe the vehicle’s (Honda’s) brake lights even activate” when the sheriff vehicle approached it from the rear.
Dodds said Puckett issued a warning to the driver of the initial vehicle.
After completing that traffic stop, Deputy Puckett used video footage recorded by his vehicle to obtain the Honda’s license plate information, the sheriff’s office investigation found. Using the license information, Puckett then went to the Honda owner’s Lewistown residence, but found neither the vehicle nor its owner was at the home.
Puckett reported that while leaving Lewistown, the minivan passed his vehicle about 12:03 p.m. on County Road 61 near County Road 54. The deputy then got behind the minivan and initiated a traffic stop.
Puckett “berated” the minivan’s driver and acted in an unprofessional manner during the stop in the presence of adult and child family members who were passengers, the sheriff said.
The deputy issued the minivan’s driver a summons in lieu of arrest for failure to comply with a order or signal of a police officer, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Contrary to Puckett’s report, the sheriff’s office investigation found that the Honda’s driver, via video evidence, did apply their brakes and the vehicle drifted over the fog line while Puckett’s sheriff vehicle was behind it for approximately 15 seconds before passing.
The investigation also found that because of wintery road conditions and an approaching guardrail off the side of U.S. 33 on Jan. 3, it was unsafe for the Honda’s driver to pull over. Puckett could have passed the vehicle at any time without the need to force the Honda off the road, the investigative report concluded.
Dodds concurred with the report, saying Puckett’s response to the incident didn’t rise to the level that should have been enforced, let alone tracking the Honda’s driver down after the initial violator was stopped.
The sheriff met with the municipal prosecutor, who moved to have the criminal summons against the Honda’s driver dismissed.
Puckett was arraigned on the domestic charges Thursday morning in Hardin County Municipal Court and released from jail later that day, according to records.
His next scheduled court hearing is at 10 a.m. Monday, July 14.
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Logan County deputy placed on leave after arrest in Hardin County
KENTON — Logan County Sheriff’s deputy John Puckett was arrested Tuesday night, July 8, for domestic violence and unlawful restraint.
Puckett, 29, of Kenton, was arrested by officers of the Kenton Police Department around 11 p.m. at his Kenton residence. He was lodged in the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion.
The victim, Puckett’s wife, earlier arrived at the Kenton Police Department to report a domestic incident between the couple, according to police reports. Mrs. Puckett is a deputy with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office.
Police reports did not provide additional details about the incident.
Domestic violence and unlawful restraints are each misdemeanor offenses.
Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds said Puckett will be placed on paid administrative leave as per the collective bargaining agreement with deputies while his case is investigated.
Sheriff Dodds said he expected to review a copy of Puckett’s arrest report later today.
Puckett, who has been a sworn peace officer since 2016, was hired by the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in 2021, Dodds noted.
Check back for updates.
