GRAFTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — A Taylor County Sheriff’s Department employee was charged and put on administrative leave after incident at the county courthouse.
On June 15, officers with the Grafton Police Department were advised of a disturbance taking place at the Taylor County Courthouse, according to a criminal complaint.
When officers entered the courthouse, they observed Maranda Kyer, 29, of Grafton, who is chief administrative deputy for the Taylor County Sheriff’s Department, “had a flush red face and bloodshot eyes,” and was “agitated at a deputy […] who was trying to keep her calm,” officers said.
At that point, officers asked Kyer to perform a series of standardized field sobriety tests; she failed two and “refus[ed] to cooperate or participate” in a third, according to the complaint.
Officers placed Kyer into custody, and a sample of Kyer’s breath in an Intoximeter showed her blood alcohol content was .242; Kyer also informed officers she had driven to the courthouse from her residence, which is a distance of 3.7 miles.
Kyer has been charged with aggravated DUI.
Taylor County Sheriff Terry Austin confirmed that Kyer is employed as the chief administrative deputy for his office, and that she was charged with the misdemeanor like anyone else.
Austin stated that Kyer has been placed on administrative leave at this time, but he also clarified that she, like anyone else who is charged with a crime, is innocent until proven guilty. Disciplinary action will be taken against Kyer once the court proceedings take place, he said, and they will move along from there.