need to know
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Kelly Buck, 36, was arrested Monday, February 16, at a pediatric dental clinic in Sherman, Texas
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Police claim they observed signs of intoxication and conducted field sobriety tests
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Barker’s lawyer said pending blood test results will show she had no drugs or alcohol in her system
A North Texas dentist is facing felony charges for performing an intoxicated procedure at a pediatric dental clinic.
According to a Sherman Police Department news release, around noon on Monday, February 16, Sherman Children’s Dentistry Office staff responded to reports that a dentist was showing signs of intoxication while treating a patient.
When officers arrived, they allegedly saw signs of intoxication and conducted field sobriety tests before arresting 36-year-old Kelly Buck, KXII, WFAA and NBC 5 reported. KXII reports she failed a sobriety test.
Buck was charged with performing a procedure while intoxicated, a state jail felony under the Texas Occupation Code, according to the release.
According to media reports, police confirmed that Barker had treated a patient at the dental clinic before arriving.
Investigators later obtained a search warrant for a sample of Buck’s blood as part of the investigation, according to media reports.
According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA, Buck was allegedly performing a filling and crowning procedure on an 8-year-old boy when a dental technician assisting her observed Buck’s behavior, leading her to believe that Buck was intoxicated and stopped the procedure midway.
The boy’s father then reportedly called 911.
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Buck denies the accusations.
“Ms. Barker is not guilty of the crime for which she was arrested,” her attorney, Matthew Hamilton of Jarvis & Hamilton, said in a statement to KXII. “She has been a licensed dentist since 2016 and takes her patients very seriously. She is looking forward to the blood results as it will show that there are no drugs or alcohol in her system. I expect this will clear her name so that she can go back to caring for her patients.”
Buck herself told WFAA that she offered to submit to a breathalyser test, but the police officer “refused to do so.” Hamilton told the outlet Buck allowed police to search her car, but no contraband was found.
Buck has been licensed in Texas since 2016 and has no public disciplinary record, KXII and NBC 5 reported.
According to police, Buck was working a temporary job at a staffing agency at the time of the incident.
“This is definitely a very unusual case,” Sherman Police Lt. Sam Boyle said, KXII reported.
Buck was booked into the Grayson County Jail and later released on $10,000 bond, according to KXII and WFAA. If convicted, she faces up to two years in prison.
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