Bybee Acquitted

By Jeff Cagle
Sentinel Reporter
SIREN – Burnett County Sheriffís Deputy Ryan Bybee was acquitted Thursday of misconduct, making him available to work immediately following a vacation.

One of the jurists, who didn’t want to be identified, said the jury determined that the initiating officer, Henry Bearheart of the St. Croix Tribal Police, let Patricia Olson go after she was pulled over for allegedly drinking and driving.

Olson, who works in dispatch for Burnett County and is the sister of Chief Deputy Donald Taylor, will not be investigated nor reprimanded for operating while intoxicated because there wasnít sufficient enough evidence to prove that, Sheriff Dean Roland said.

Because of the acquittal, charges were dropped against Bearheart.

It was reported Sept. 2 on the Burnett County Sentinel web site that Bearheart would be sentenced to one-year probation, fined $750 and perform 40 hours of uncompensated community service for the crime of misconduct, which was mentioned by Judge Molly GaleWrick.

The original agreement not mentioned in the article was that through the Washburn County District Attorney’s office was that Bearheart would be convicted if Deputy Ryan Bybee was found guilty of misconduct.

The Sentinel misled readers to thinking that Bearheart, himself, would be the only person sentenced in the case.

Therefore the Sentinel would like to apologize to Mr. Bearheart, his family and colleagues and our readers for misleading you with information not known until Sept. 6.

Read more about this story in upcoming Burnett County Sentinel. The newspaper will be out Wednesday the 7th of September.