Before on-duty overdose, Battle Ground sergeant faced domestic violence allegations

Months before a Battle Ground Police Department sergeant fatally overdosed on fentanyl and methamphetamine while on-duty, his supervisors heard claims he abused alcohol and pills and was “able to hide his intoxication well.”

The claims came from Sgt. Richard Kelly’s wife who, last November, alleged he punched her and fractured her nose. A Clark County Sheriff’s Office detective interviewed her at the hospital the day after Thanksgiving.

“She insinuated that everything occurred because she saw him drinking bourbon, which he never does, and taking pills which caused things to escalate,” wrote Detective Tanya Johnson.

Clark County Sheriff’s Office opened and closed a criminal probe. Then, in January, Battle Ground police internally investigated the claims.

Neither investigation found the domestic violence claims credible. Kelly’s wife, whose full name OPB is not disclosing, walked back her claims shortly after returning home.

However, the allegations resurfaced after Kelly overdosed Aug. 10 at the Battle Ground Police Department. The 54-year-old was in the middle of his shift when he appears to have snorted drugs at his desk, records show.