A White Plains police officer has been suspended without pay after he was arrested on a drunk driving charge following an accident with a tractor-trailer on Interstate 287.
The incident happened shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday, when off-duty Officer Joe Zepeda, 37, hit the back of a tractor-trailer while driving his 2007 Nissan west near Exit 6 in White Plains.
State police Sgt. Kenneth Cano of the Tarrytown barracks said Zepeda suffered a minor head abrasion and was not taken to the hospital. A passenger in his car, White Plains Police Officer Kurt Maddux, was treated at Westchester Medical Center for a broken ankle and released. The truck driver, who was not identified, was released from the medical center after he was treated for neck and back pain.
Zepeda, 37, of Mahopac, refused to take a blood-alcohol test and was subsequently charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. He was released without bail on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in White Plains City Court next Monday.
White Plains Police Chief James Bradley said Zepeda has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation .
"That investigation is underway," Bradley said. "Once it's completed, we'll take appropriate disciplinary action, depending on the outcome."
He said discipline could range from a suspension to dismissal.
Zepeda became a city cop in May 2007 and is assigned to the patrol division. Bradley said he has never faced disciplinary action since joining the department.
Cano declined to release Zepeda's mug shot, saying "I don't have one available, and we don't routinely do that for DWI arrests."
Zepeda's is the latest in a recent series of DWI arrests among local off-duty members of law enforcement.
Dobbs Ferry Officer Michael Huffman was charged with DWI and two traffic violations after a Dec. 11 rollover crash in Tarrytown and has been placed on paid administrative leave.
On Dec. 27, Westchester County Officer Joseph Kraus was charged with drunk driving after authorities said he ran a red light and crashed into a Scarsdale police car at East Parkway and Popham Road, injuring Scarsdale Officer Jessica Knatz. Kraus has been suspended with pay. Later that morning, Westchester County Corrections Officer Patricia Yancy-Johnson was charged with driving while intoxicated, accused of rear-ending an ambulance on Central Avenue in Greenburgh.
On Monday, in remarks made after being sworn in for a second term, Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said her administration will increase its efforts in prosecuting DWI cases.
"For years there has been a culture around DWI crimes that has downplayed the seriousness and violence associated with them," she said after her inauguration. "We are working hard to change that culture through our prosecution effort and our prevention efforts. A person's willingness to drive drunk and risk injury not only to himself but to everyone else who is on the road is absolutely unacceptable. So we're focusing on redoubling efforts around DWI crimes."
She would not comment specifically on Zepeda's case.
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