Floyd County fired Garland D. Nester after a Grand Jury indicted the Animal Control Officer and former firearms safety instructor on charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless handling of a firearm.
As my story in today’s Floyd Press reveals, the county terminated Nester’s paid administrative leave when the indictments came down. Nester had been paid by the county for the five months following the May shooting of Paul Belcher, a neighbor who came to Nester’s aid when he was trying to get a cow back onto his farm.
A State Police investigation says Nester fired in anger at the recalcitrant cow and one of the stray bullets struck Belcher.
County administrator Dan Campbell, bound by personnel privacy laws, won’t discuss specifics of Nester’s termination but confirmed the animal control officer "is no longer employed by the county."
Nester faces a criminal trial on the charges in February 2009 and may also face civil litigation from Belcher’s family.