A Henry County deputy has been fired after he was arrested by the Illinois State Police on charges of DUI and reckless driving, according to a statement from the Henry County Sheriff Josh Verscheure.

Deputy David M. Smutzer, 44, was arrested on Feb. 25 by the Illinois State Police. He was immediately placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. On March 12, he was terminated from the HCSO.

According to the statement, the sheriff’s office will issue no further comments as there is a pending grievance challenging the termination.

According to court documents, Smutzer first appeared in court on March 24 represented by attorney Steven Glasgow. He waived formal arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and speeding 35+ mph over the speed limit.

Smutzer is set to appear for a pretrial hearing at the Henry County Courthouse on May. 6.

On Tuesday, The Kewanee Voice received an anonymous phone tip about the deputy’s arrest and reached out to the HCSO for a comment.

According to the statement, “The Henry County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to serving our community with integrity and transparency. We hold our deputies to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability, and we take incidents such as this very seriously.”