Sgt. Matt Kinard of the Mount Pleasant Police Department in Mount Pleasant, SC was charged and fired on July 3. Kinard was charged with public intoxication after he was found with a beer can between his legs while sitting inside his department issued patrol vehicle.
Officers found Kinard unconscious in one of the department’s marked SUVs around 11:20 a.m. on July 3 after receiving a call of a individual passed out in a vehicle. Upon closer inspection, responding officers also say they found an open container of beer between Kinard’s legs, ABC News 4 reports.
A on-duty supervisor was notified and responded to the scene. The supervisor escorted Kinard back to the Mount Pleasant Police Department where he was met by the operations captain and the Office of Professional Standards lieutenant.
According to police, it was determined Kinard was intoxicated while on duty and had passed out in his marked police SUV.
Kinard was fired immediately, charged with public intoxication and released on a courtesy summons, which means he could be arrested if he fails to show up in court, according to state law.
Mount Pleasant Police Chief Carl Ritchie released a prepared statement:
“The criminal consequences are consistent with those a non-law enforcement member of our community would be exposed to and we should not be expected to be treated differently in this circumstance. I am very disappointed that one of our police supervisors would conduct himself in this manner.”
Kinard was with the Mount Pleasant Police Department for five years.
