Officer Glenn Mearls Arrested for DWI

FARMINGTON

An off-duty Farmington Police officer apparently impaired by sleep medications was arrested Wednesday after crashing his truck into two city vehicles parked at the police station, authorities said.

Officer Glenn Mearls, a bomb squad officer and 14-year department veteran, was charged with DWI after the crash, which occurred around 8 a.m., state police Lt. Dan Becker said.

New Mexico State Police officers determined the 43-year-old officer was impaired on prescription medication after conducting field sobriety tests. State police investigated the crash to ensure no conflict of interest between the officer and Farmington Police.

Police are waiting on lab tests to confirm what medication Mearls had taken, but the drug is believed to be a sleep aid, Becker said.

"He was cooperative throughout the whole thing," the state police lieutenant said.

The crash caused moderate damage to a city-owned code compliance officer truck and minor damage to an information technology department vehicle, Assistant City Manager Bob Campbell said.

Damage to the code compliance truck was serious enough that the vehicle had to be taken out of service.

"It's not street worthy any longer," Campbell said. "We will submit those damage claims to the officer's personal vehicle insurer for reimbursement to the city."

Farmington Police have initiated an internal investigation of the impaired-driving crash. In addition to department policy violations, Farmington officials are investigating why Mearls was at the police station parking lot while off-duty.
Farmington Police Chief Jim Runnels said Mearls was scheduled to work an overnight shift Tuesday night before the crash, but Mearls may have taken the day off.

"He should have been at work, but I didn't see him (Tuesday)," Runnels said. "I don't know if he took a vacation day or something like that."

Mearls was scheduled to go back on duty at 4 p.m.Wednesday, but was placed on administrative leave with pay following his arrest.

He was released from custody at the San Juan County Detention Center on $1,000 bond Wednesday.

Mearls was not available for comment. Contact information for the officer is not publicly listed.

The drug-influenced crash is the third DWI-related incident involving a Farmington Police officer in less than a year.

"Even though police officers are held to a higher standard, they are human," Runnels said. "We've got almost 130 officers, so are we any different than any other company that has 130 people as far as employees that have been arrested for DWI? I don't know.

"But I can tell you we're going to certainly take a hard look at it now."