Published: August 21, 2009 09:18 am      

Next step taken with new chief

A Maysville municipal group has put a difficult situation behind itself and is moving forward when it comes to the Garvin County town’s police chief.

After last week’s dismissal of the former chief, who is mired in a domestic-related case against him in a neighboring county, members of the Maysville Board of Trustees decided to fill the spot with one of their own.

Randy Minyard, an officer in Maysville for several months, was officially hired this week as the new police chief, replacing his former boss, Robert Peterson.

Peterson was terminated from his job after he was formally accused in July of slapping his girlfriend during a domestic altercation at their home in Purcell.

Mayor Edward Pharaoh said the naming of Minyard represents a step forward for the town after all the public attention brought from the criminal charge targeting Peterson.

“He was the best qualified,” Pharaoh said, referring to Minyard. “He has experience in the town and knows everybody.”

Pharaoh added the hiring should also make the recent development involving the police a thing of the past for the community.

“We’re anxious to get things running smoothly and put all the distractions behind us,” he said.

With Minyard in his new post the Maysville Police Department will continue to have three full-time officers on staff.

This week the Maysville board also hired a couple of part-time officers for the local department.

The mayor said last week the board decided to terminate Peterson’s employment “for the good of the service.”

The former chief ran into problems late last month when a misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse was filed against him in McClain County District Court. He was formally accused of slapping Cindy Herrera during an argument in the early morning hours of July 15 outside of their apartment in Purcell.

During the incident two other Maysville officers, one who also lives in the apartment complex, claimed to witness Peterson slap the woman’s face.

Afterward Peterson publicly denied it ever happened.

The incident is strangely similar to an altercation two years ago between Peterson and Herrera when they lived in Pauls Valley.

Both were arrested after they had a domestic confrontation during a gathering in September 2007 to celebrate Peterson’s graduation from the state’s law enforcement training academy.

The domestic abuse charge filed against Peterson then was later dismissed, while he also pleaded guilty to assaulting a third individual by striking them in the face.