Former Rutherford County Sheriff's Detective Ron Killingsby Nick Beres
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Detective Ron Killings has been fired by Rutherford County's new sheriff. The announcement was made in a brief news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Robert Arnold officially became the new sheriff at midnight on September 1. In August, he won a bitter election against former sheriff Truman Jones who had been in office for some 28 years.
Arnold promised if he won the election, Killings would be out. But with only a couple of weeks left in office, Jones reinstated Killings in late August.
Sheriff Arnold said under county regulation, an employee on probation can be released within one year.
"Under county guidelines he's a probationary employee so he is released from the department," said Arnold.
Killings hit and killed 11-year-old Lakeisha White while on patrol in July of 2008. A jury found him not guilty of reckless homicide in February
In June, Judge Royce Taylor dismissed additional charges against Killings. Taylor threw out charges of evidence tampering and filing a false police report, saying they didn't apply because there was "no criminal episode." Taylor said what Killings did after the crash was not relevant.
Killings resigned during the investigation. Blood tests found he was not drunk.
Newly-released video from the criminal file shows an officer interrogating Killings after the crash. Also, newly released photos show the damage to Killing's car; the 11-year-old girl's sandal with a tire mark; and of a tequila bottle witnesses said Killings tried to dispose of at the scene.
Lakeisha White's family said they are pleased Arnold let Killings go.
Killings and his attorney could not be reached for comment.
Email: nberes@newschannel5.com
