Western High School resource officer on paid suspension - WDRB 41 Louisville News

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Western High School resource officer has been suspended and removed from the school after allegations that improper images were found on a computer. 

Now the officer is on desk duty.

Dale Elliott began working as a school resource officer at Western High School in Dec. 2013, but on Oct. 1, he was taken off the job.

Elliott is employed by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

"The allegations are there were some improper stuff on a computer," said Thomas Clay, Elliott's attorney. "My understanding is it goes back several years prior to employment as a deputy sheriff, and so that is what I understand the investigation involves."

When asked if there was child pornography on the computer, Clay says, "I've heard that allegation. I'm not sure if that's specifically included, but there are allegations of images that were downloaded on a computer."

Lt. Col Carl Yates says the Sheriff put Elliott on paid suspension Oct. 1, and asked for an internal affairs investigation. The Sheriff's Office says the investigation is to determine if there was any violation of the agency policy and procedure, or any law.

Clay says Elliott was a Lynnview officer around the year 2003.

"He worked in Lynnview under a chief of police out there," Clay said. "There was a computer in the department and the allegations are that Deputy Elliott downloaded some stuff. That's certainly going to be hotly contested and it happened several years ago."

Elliott later became the Pioneer Village Police Chief before coming to the Sheriff's Office. Pioneer Village officials say two weeks ago, the Sheriff's Office came in and asked for Elliott's records.

WDRB obtained them too. They show how he was promoted from a police officer to Chief. He had taken leave for deployments with the Kentucky Air National Guard and served as a military policeman.

Clay says Elliott is not charged with anything and the allegations have nothing to do with his current employment or any jobs since Lynnview.

"My understanding is that his employment as a school resource officer at Western was exemplary," Clay said. "People there really admired his professionalism and there is no implication that I've heard that anything improper happened at Western."

JCPS is referring all info about Elliott to the Sheriff's Office since that is who he works for.

"My understanding is the Sheriff's Department has taken a very open minded approach towards this and they're going to do a full and thorough investigation and hopefully we'll reach the correct conclusion," Clay said.

The Sheriff's Office says Elliott's police powers are suspended, pending the outcome of the internal affairs investigation. 

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