In a short meeting Jan. 9, Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett informed commissioners he decided to terminate Deputy Kenneth Hatch III’s employment Jan. 3.

The action came following an administrative hearing with Hatch and his attorney, Brackett said, and the decision to terminate Hatch marked the end of a detailed internal investigation into Hatch’s alleged misconduct.

Brackett said Hatch had been let go for department policy violations. Hatch was found not guilty of two charges of sexual assault of a minor, and furnishing controlled substances to a minor in late November. The jury deadlocked on 20 other sex and drug charges; it has not yet been decided whether or not to retry Hatch on those charges.

“I have made the decision to end (Hatch’s) employment and communicated that to him in a letter that is a confidential personnel document that cannot be released,” Brackett said. “Mr. Hatch has the opportunity to appeal my decision if he chooses. This has been a trying time for all of us at the Sheriff’s Office and a black mark on law enforcement across our state. While it is an unfortunate end to a long and decorated career in law enforcement, it is time to put this behind us and move on.”

Brackett said, given the circumstances, including a score of unresolved charges, he did not see how Hatch could continue to function as a law enforcement officer.

Brackett said he would begin the process of replacing Hatch in the near future.