A Warren city official was arrested early this morning on suspicion of drunken driving, according to the city's police commissioner.
Jeff Schroeder, 33, of Warren was stopped about 2:30 a.m. near Van Dyke and Toepfer, said Commissioner William Dwyer. A Warren police officer administered a sobriety test and determined that Schroeder was intoxicated.
Schroeder, assistant city attorney for Warren, is immediately suspended for five days without pay and will be reassigned when he returns because his duties now include prosecuting drunken driving cases, Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said.
"I'm sure he's embarrassed by this, as we all are," Fouts said. "He has a very good record with the city. He's a hard worker and a good prosecutor. I'm not aware he's ever had any drinking problems."
Still, Fouts said, the accusation is serious and "there will be no favoritism by this administration."
Two Breathalyzer tests indicated that Schroeder had a blood-alcohol content of .07% and .08%, Dwyer said. The legal limit in Michigan is .08%, though police can arrest someone for impaired driving with lower levels if he or she is determined to be a risk to others.
A sample of Schroeder's blood was sent to the Michigan State Police lab in Sterling Heights to get a more precise level.
Dwyer said the matter is being sent to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office instead of being handled by the city because of Schroeder's position.
"I want to make sure this is handled like we would handle every other case," Dwyer said.
Schroeder has worked for the city for more than five years, said City Attorney David Richards.
Warren officials came under scrutiny early last year when a court magistrate, James Conrad, was arrested for drunken driving and the matter was handled in-house. Conrad refused to take preliminary breath tests or a Breathalyzer exam and was released shortly after his arrest when then-Chief District Judge Walter Jakubowski Jr. set a personal bond for him.
Jakubowski since has been replaced by Judge John Chmura. Dwyer became commissioner in April, three months after Conrad's arrest.
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