Ex-deputy investigated for party
Staff writer
Former Chase County deputy Michael Ragsdale is under investigation for underage drinking at a property he owns near Cedar Point.
Deputies were called at 11:48 p.m. at Aug. 7 to a large party in the 500 block of EF Rd. after receiving a report that people younger than 21 were drinking. Several people under 21 were cited for underage consumption of alcohol.
Sheriff Jacob Welsh placed Ragsdale on administrative leave.
Welsh consulted the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Kansas Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training on Aug. 9 before turning the investigation over to the Lyon County sheriff’s office.
“The deputy did not serve another day with our office,” Welsh said in a Thursday release.
Ragsdale’s identity was independently confirmed by the Record.
CPOST records list Ragsdale’s employment as ending Aug. 18, 11 days after the party. His law enforcement certification remains active.
Lyon County detective Eric Williams declined to answer questions Tuesday because the investigation remains ongoing. He referred inquiries to Chase County’s release. The Chase County sheriff’s office failed to return repeated requests for comment.
The investigation will be sent to the Chase County attorney’s office for review when complete, Williams said.
CPOST would not say whether Ragsdale was under investigation because investigative records, including whether an investigation exists, are closed by statute.