CHICKASHA, Okla. – A sheriff’s officer who arrested a neighboring county deputy sheriff for speeding and having open containers of alcohol in his car on the Fourth of July has been fired for taking the action and the charges dropped.

Grady County Sheriff Jim Weir said Wednesday he dismissed Sergeant Ryan Lake for conflict of interest because his son had been arrested in June by the deputy sheriff. Weir said Lake should have called for assistance.

Lake pulled over McClain County Deputy Sheriff Joshua Nehemiah Shaw, who was off duty, and a second party, Jonathan Appleby, for high-speed racing on a public roadway in rural south-central Oklahoma.

Lake’s arrest report said Shaw was driving at speeds in excess of 125 mph, and that his vehicle contained two partially full bottles of vodka and eight cans of bear, with one of the cans open and empty.

“It is the determination of the sheriff’s office that Sergeant Lake acted outside the scope of his employment and violated sheriff’s office policies,” said Weir in a statement. “His actions not only brought into question the arrest and detention of both parties, but tainted any possible prosecution.”

Weir also said Lake, Shaw and Appleby told conflicting stories about what preceded the arrests. The sheriff said he dropped the charges after consulting with the district attorney.

Details for this story were provided by the Chickasha, Oklahoma, Express-Star.