CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Less than a year after being fired for illegal anabolic steroid use while on the job, two Bradley County deputies have been rehired, Sheriff Tim Gobble said Thursday.
Anthony Cochran and Casey Kerr were fired last September after a federal investigation revealed their steroid use.
“These two men are worth taking a second chance on. I hope they learned a lesson,” Gobble said Thursday. His term ends Wednesday and Jim Ruth takes office.
Gobble said he rehired the men because he felt both had excelled in their jobs.
When they were fired last year, Gobble described their actions as “beyond the bounds of acceptance” and said using steroids “is illegal and a violation of policy,” according to Times Free Press archives.
He also said they were “good deputies” and “did their job.”
Bradley County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Bob Gault said Cochran and Kerr declined to comment.
Both men reapplied for their jobs and took polygraph tests, Gobble said, noting that it was confirmed they weren’t on steroids anymore.
“We know what their work ethic was. They weren’t problem employees,” he said. “If they weren’t rehired, it probably would have jeopardized their career in law enforcement.”
Law enforcement officers in Tennessee must be certified by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Christopher Garrett, director of communications for the commission, said the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office never asked that Kerr and Cochran be decertified after their dismissal, so they’re still able to serve as deputies.
Mike Wilson, a board member of the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association, said it’s rare for a deputy dismissed for a drug policy violation to return, but that staffing is up to the sheriff.
Gobble said he discussed Kerr and Cochran with his captains several weeks ago and the consensus was to rehire them.
Gobble did not seek re-election after his first term as sheriff and lost a bid for the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District.
He said he wanted to rehire the men before he left office and sheriff-elect Jim Ruth took over.
“I didn’t want to put the new sheriff in a position that might cause political trouble,” he said. “I think he would agree that both of these guys hold promise in law enforcement.”
Attempts to reach Ruth were unsuccessful.
Gobble said he feels that both Kerr and Cochran will go on to make good officers.
“They’re clearly remorseful for what they did; they have a willingness to put the past behind them and look forward to the future.”