Sheriff's office dismisses deputy

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Clay Shoemaker, the subject of this story, was later reinstated after the Lake County sheriff said Shoemaker was "cleared of any wrongdoing." Read the followup story here.)

LAKE COUNTY — Arlee, Mission and Charlo schools will be seeing a new school resource officer after former SRO Clay Shoemaker was let go by the department.

Shoemaker, who could not be reached for comment, was notified last week that he was relieved of his duties.

Lake County Undersheriff Dan Yonkin could not comment on the nature of Shoemaker’s dismissal from the force, but Yonkin did say that Shoemaker will not face criminal charges.

Charlo Superintendent Thom Peck said he was not informed about the nature of Shoemaker’s dismissal, either.

“We know nothing and everyone is staying really tight-lipped,” Peck said.

Both Peck and St. Ignatius Superintendent Bob Lewandowski said they were told Shoemaker’s dismissal was not related to his position as an SRO.

“An official called me and told me that he was no longer working for the county sheriff’s department,” Lewandowski said. “…They assured me that there was nothing the school should be worried about.”

Peck echoed that claim.

“[Yonkin] said that [Shoemaker] was terminated but that it didn’t have anything to do with the schools or him being the SRO or the kids,” Peck said.

Yonkin said that the department had already been looking for a replacement for Shoemaker because Shoemaker had requested to move to patrol duty. That application window closed Monday. Yonkin said that finding a qualified applicant for a school resource officer is a little more difficult because of the three-year minimum law enforcement experience requirement.

Deputies Nate Lundeen and Levi Reed, the Polson and Ronan SROs, respectively, will fill in completing Shoemaker’s duties at the three schools in the meantime.

Both school systems said that Shoemaker had done nothing to tarnish his reputation with them.

“He hasn’t done anything to hurt his welcoming in our school,” Lewandowski said.