Springfield MO Radio: Traffic Stop Leads To Dismissal From KOSP

Richard Deaver

Radio personality Richard Deaver is out at Top40 KOSP 92.9 FM in Springfield, MO, according to The News-Leader.

The 26-year-old Deaver, who prompted a boycott by the Springfield Police Officers Association last month, was not on air Thursday morning.   The station website has been scrubbed promos for the morning show Rich and McClain in the Morning now mentioned "McClain in the Morning."

Jason McCuthin, the general manager of Mid-West Family Broadcasting — which owns KOSP, more commonly known as 92.9 The Beat — said Thursday morning that the company doesn't discuss employment matters.

Asked if he had any comment at all about the police boycott, McCuthin replied: "There's not a story in my opinion, so I don't have anything to say."

But Deaver, in his first media interview since his Nov. 14 traffic stop, said Thursday morning that he and the company "parted ways amicably, and I am going to pursue other opportunities." He said he felt no ill will toward Mid-West.

Traffic stop led to police boycott

Deaver, who hosted the morning show with Dawn McClain, was pulled over while driving a scooter to work around 5 a.m., Nov. 14. The scooter was searched for drugs after an officer claimed he smelled marijuana; nothing was found in the search, which involved a K-9 unit and an additional officer. Deaver was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car while the search was conducted. Ultimately, Deaver was issued citations for running a flashing red light and not having a valid driver's license. An officer also told Deaver that he had a non-extraditable warrant for his arrest out of Camden County, Missouri.

On air later that morning, Deaver claimed to have been "torn" off the scooter and "thrown up against the cop car" and said the warrant was not for him; he also played audio of a portion of the stop he recorded on his phone. Within hours, the association — a labor group which represents those lower in rank than lieutenant within the Springfield Police Department — called for a boycott of KOSP and said it was asking its attorney whether the statements amounted to defamation. The police department, meanwhile, quickly released dashboard camera footage of the stop.

Deaver and McClain appear to have been on "Rich and McClain in the Morning" as usual Wednesday. On Thursday, however, promos referred to the show as "McClain in the Morning."