Former Kansas sheriff’s deputy stripped of license after 2023 animal cruelty case
A former Kansas sheriff’s deputy was stripped of his law enforcement certification after being arrested and charged with animal cruelty in 2023.
Nathan Handy of Dighton was a deputy with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office from July 2017 to February 2023, according to a summary order of revocation released this month by the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training.
The organization, also known as KS-CPOST, oversees law enforcement training and certification in Kansas.
A number associated with Handy did not reply to a request for comment on this story.
On February 23, 2023, Lane County deputies responded to a report of three dogs being stolen. The next day, authorities learned that two of the dogs had been killed, and that the third one had ran away, according to sheriff’s office.
The summary order of revocation says Handy had agreed to take care of two dogs.
“With the assistance of the Gove County Sheriff’s office, an investigation determined that a crime had been committed,” a previous social media post from the sheriff’s office said.
On February 25, 2023, Handy was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty. Nearly two weeks later, he was formally charged with two counts of animal cruelty, two counts of theft, two counts of interfering with law enforcement and two counts of unlawful disposal carcasses or carcass parts, court records show.
Handy entered a diversion agreement on all the charges on August 19, 2024, according to KS-CPOST.