“Dumb mistake” at Shawnee Co. bar leads to de-certification of KHP employee

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The certification of one Kansas Highway Patrol Capitol Police Officer has now been revoked following what he calls a “dumb mistake” at a bar in Shawnee Co. in 2022.

Court documents indicate that on March 12, Aaron Plum, a Capitol Police Officer with the Kansas Highway Patrol, had been drinking and playing pool at a bar in Shawnee Co. while off the clock. He allegedly took jackets that contained other items from a man who had been playing pool with his friends.

According to court records, the jackets contained a cell phone, a debit card and cigars. When confronted about the incident, Plum allegedly repeatedly denied taking the items, however, he eventually returned them and said he “made a dumb mistake” and did not know what he was thinking.

When the victim learned that Plum was a law enforcement officer, court documents also say that he repeatedly refused to provide his badge number.

As such, Plum has since been charged with a single count of misdemeanor criminal deprivation of property and has entered a diversion agreement.

As Plum’s conduct at the bar constituted a misdemeanor crime that negatively reflects his trustworthiness and honesty and shows he has failed to maintain a good moral character to warrant public trust, the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training has revoked his certification.

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