UPDATE (6:28 a.m. 6/30/17): Lawrence Thatcher has bailed out.
Central receiving confirms that Thatcher bailed out around 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
He's set to be in a Ridgecrest court on Monday at 9 a.m.
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UPDATE (1:30 p.m.): 23ABC spoke to Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood about the arrest of one of his deputies.
When talking about Lawrence Thatcher's arrest, Youngblood said, "This is a serious allegation. ... We should be held to a higher standard than the public."
Youngblood said the process when KCSO employees are arrested is to place them on administrative leave. There will also be an administrative investigation to determine whether or not to fire Thatcher. Youngblood said contrary to popular belief, "The Sheriff can't just fire someone, no matter what they do in the spur of the moment."
When asked about sharing this arrest with the public, Youngblood said, "We don't hide things. We want to be transparent. We probably could have not talked about this case. But that's not the way we operate."
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UPDATE (1:05 p.m.): Lawrence Thatcher is set to be in court on July 3 in Ridgecrest.
He's currently being held on $12,500 bail.
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A Kern County Sheriff's deputy has been arrested in connection with a domestic violence incident.
According to the KCSO, Lawrence Thatcher allegedly assaulted someone on Wednesday.
KCSO says they responded to reports of domestic violence. After an investigation, Thatcher was arrested on Thursday.
He faces charges of spousal battery and false imprisonment.
He's been with KCSO for 11 years.
