Officer Christopher Van Meter Arrested for Drunk Driving

An off-duty Fort Collins police officer was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving about midnight Sunday by the Colorado State Patrol.

The officer, Christopher Van Meter, 38, remains on duty with no change in his work status, according to Fort Collins Police Services.

Van Meter was stopped on U.S. Highway 287 slightly north of Trilby, according to the Colorado State Patrol. He was initially stopped because he was driving 65 mph in a 55 mph zone, said CSP spokesman Master Trooper Ron Watkins.

“The trooper noticed indicators of possible intoxication on contact,” Watkins said.

Van Meter, a patrol officer who works the midnight shift, submitted to a blood test; the results won't be available for about two weeks. Watkins said Van Meter was released on a summons, and his vehicle towed from the scene. That's routine in such cases.

Watkins described Van Meter as “cooperative” during the stop.

City Manager Darin Atteberry said he and police Chief Dennis Harrison discussed the situation yesterday, and agreed to wait for the court process to finish before acting.

Van Meter, like anyone else, is innocent until proven guilty. FCPS will not take disciplinary action -- if any -- until his guilt or innocence is decided in court.

In Colorado, people convicted of driving drunk can lose their license, which would likely force the city to fire Van Meter. Atteberry said that's no different than if one of the city’s truck drivers lost his license.

“There’s a process and we’re waiting to see what happens,” Atteberry said today. “We’ll wait and see what the courts have to say, and after that, we’ll see where we go. We have to let the process take its course and (then) dealt with it at the department level.”

The Fort Collins police "Mission & Values" statement says police employees are "endowed with a special level of trust," and that "high ethical standards must prevail in all our interactions with citizens and with each other, and we must strive to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest or compromise of our standards."