Monday, November 30, 2009

Officer Robert Todd Arrested for Drunk Driving

Police arrested a man they said was drunk behind the wheel in Englewood and the suspect turned out to be one of their own.

Robert Adam Todd, 25, a Butler Township police officer, was arrested Wednesday night after police said he crashed into another car while driving intoxicated.

Sgt. Mike Lang said, "Officers responded to an accident at Main Street at the Englewood Dam."

Police said Todd rear-ended another driver sitting at the red light. However, when officers showed up to process the scene of the crash, they recognized the driver at fault. "One of the officers responding knew he was a police officer," said Lang.

They also suspected that the driver was drunk.

Police reports indicate that Todd failed all three sobriety tests that he was given, although he denied having anything to drink. He said he didn't see the other driver's brake lights. Officers said he refused a breathalyzer test.

Sgt. Lang said, "Enough clues were present to place him under arrest."

The Butler Township Police Chief, Danny Hobbs, said he has never had to deal with one of his own officers facing criminal charges.

"I found out early Thursday morning, " said Hobbs. "He's a good officer. I had no prior problems with him."

Chief Hobbs said the two and a half year veteran called him to apologize and knows that he made a mistake. "We are held to a higher standard, but we are human. We make mistakes. These these things happen," said Hobbs.

Officer Todd is now on unpaid administrative leave.

The chief did not want to speculate on the future of Todd's job, and said he will wait for the court's decision and then conduct his own standard of conduct investigation.

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