Barton County deputy off patrol in wake of homicide charge

11-year-veteran of force reassigned after A.G. announces decision

? A deputy sheriff has been removed from patrol duty after he was charged with vehicular homicide in a crash that left a motorcyclist dead.

David Paden, an 11-year veteran with the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, has been involved in three other accidents during chases the past two years.

Kansas Atty. Gen. Phill Kline filed the misdemeanor count on Wednesday against Paden. He was reassigned later in the day, just hours after Sheriff Buck Causey said publicly that he intended to leave Paden on the road.

Causey said Thursday he was unsure about Paden’s new assignment.

“He’s been assigned to some nonpatrol duties, and I’m not certain what that’s going to be,” the sheriff said. “It’ll just be off the road until this case is disposed.”

Brian Frenzl, 40, of Great Bend, died Sept. 1 when his motorcycle struck the front end of Paden’s patrol car on U.S. Highway 281 as Paden was joining pursuit of another vehicle. According to Kansas Highway Patrol reports, Paden was making a U-turn at the time of the accident.

In addition to vehicular homicide, Paden is charged with making an unlawful U-turn and operating a vehicle with unlawful tinting.

A September investigation by the Kansas Highway Patrol found that windows in Paden’s patrol car were illegally tinted and improperly retrofitted to accommodate a police dog that he transported.

Paden also was involved in a January 2002 chase that claimed the life of 16-year-old Adam Mayers, of Albert, the Barton County Sheriff’s Department said. The teen died when his truck hit a telephone pole. Two other people were hurt in later chase-related accidents.