Waukee police officers forgot to take a mug shot of an off-duty undercover police officer arrested last week, officials said Monday.
Officer Christopher Vesey, a Waukee resident and member of the West Des Moines narcotics task force, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated at 2:20 a.m. July 2. Waukee police took his fingerprints and impounded his car.
Waukee Police Chief L.J. Phillips said that it is department policy to take a booking photo but that each of the two officers involved in Vesey's booking thought the other had taken one. It's not the first time it has happened, Phillips said: "It was not done deliberately."
Ben Stone, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said the incident should be investigated. "Circumstances would certainly raise strong suspicions that there was favorable treatment," he said.
West Des Moines police have so far refused to release a photo of Vesey, 33, who joined the department in 1999. Authorities said because of his undercover work, releasing a photo of Vesey could jeopardize cases he has pending.
Waukee police found Vesey after another motorist spotted his car being driven in an irregular manner. Officers found Vesey in his car, stopped near the intersection of Hickman Road and North 10th Street. Vesey refused to take a breath analysis test.
Iowa law suspends the licenses of drivers who refuse to take a breath test.
Vesey is on paid administrative leave from the West Des Moines Police Department. The department said it will conduct an investigation to determine whether he violated department policy and whether any action will be taken on his employment.
No comments:
Post a Comment