Iowa State Patrol captain cited in off-duty speeding case

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa State Patrol official was cited for speeding Friday for an off-duty November incident in which a trooper initially let him go without a ticket.

Captain Ken Clary was cited for driving 92 miles per hour in a 70-mph zone on Interstate 80 near Newton following an investigation by the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The stop became public after a reader contacted The Des Moines Register, which reported on it earlier this week.

The patrol acknowledged that trooper Bryan Guill stopped Clary on Nov. 24 while he was driving a van belonging to Special Olympics Iowa, which has said no children were in the vehicle. Clary is a volunteer for the organization.

No ticket was given to Clary and no report was filed on the stop. But the department had a video of the stop, which a spokesman, Sgt. Scott Bright, said was unflattering to the patrol's image.

"It's just sad it happened. It makes our department look pretty bad," Bright said.

Bright said that Clary had disclosed the incident to a superior as required, and that an internal affairs investigation was launched. The investigation concluded Friday with administrative action being taken that did not reduce Clary's rank. The department said it would not comment further because it is a confidential personnel matter.

The investigation didn't focus on whether Guill should face discipline because troopers have discretion on when to write tickets, Bright said.

Clary faces a fine and court costs of $208.50. But being cited for driving 22 mph over the limit means Clary will narrowly avoid losing his license for six months and being required to pay for high-risk insurance, the typical sanctions for 25 mph over.

Bright said he wasn't sure how fast Clary was actually driving and whether the citation was reduced, which sometimes happens.

The case is reminiscent of a 2013 incident in which a trooper driving Gov. Terry Branstad was not pulled over after being clocked 19 miles per hour over the limit. The trooper was later cited after video of the incident became public.