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Last updated on Monday, October 22, 2018
(BLOOMINGTON) - A Bloomington firefighter was placed on administrative leave with pay after a 2017 felony charge of domestic battery against him was dismissed in Monroe Circuit Court last week.
The Bloomington Board of Public Safety met for 45 minutes in executive session Monday evening to review its year-long disciplinary actions against 48-year-old Richard D. Garvin, who has been on administrative leave without pay. Garvin has served as a chauffeur with the Bloomington Fire Department for more than 21 years.
The four board members voted unanimously to reinstate Garvin's pay, but want more information about the dismissal of the charges before making a decision to reinstate Garvin to the department or to possibly give him a year's worth of back pay. After gathering the needed information the board will determine Garvin's status in a future public meeting.
Last October, the board placed Garvin on administrative leave without pay following his Sept. 29, 2017, arrest on a felony charge of domestic battery with a previous conviction.
On Sept. 27, 2017, a woman reported that Garvin had slapped her across the face, causing the woman to fall into a patio table. He also allegedly threw a ceramic lamp across the yard.
On Aug. 29, 2018, Indiana University police arrested Garvin on two felony charges of invasion of privacy.
According to court records, this is not the first time Garvin has been arrested on domestic battery charges.
In Oct. 2010, Garvin was arrested on a charge of domestic battery and invasion of privacy for violating a restraining order. He pleaded guilty to those crimes in a negotiated plea agreement and was sentenced to one year of probation and was suspended from the department for 30 days without pay.
Last Wednesday, the felony domestic battery charge and the two felony charges of invasion of privacy were dismissed without prejudice in Monroe Circuit Court due to insufficient evidence to proceed with the charges.
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