WILTON
A veteran police officer and K-9 handler working for the Franklin County Sheriff's Department is on paid administrative leave after being arrested over the weekend on a charge of operating under the influence, a misdemeanor.
Christopher Chase, 33, of Wilton was pulled over by Wilton Police Officer Joshua King for a traffic violation on Main Street in East Wilton late Friday night. Chase was off-duty in his own vehicle and was on his way home when he was stopped, according to Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike.
No information was available on the arrest from Wilton police. Several attempts to reach Chief Dennis Brown by phone, through the Franklin County dispatch office and a Wilton officer were not successful.
Pike said Brown called him at home after the incident to inform him about the arrest.
"(Chase) is on paid administrative leave ... and we will be moving ahead with an internal investigation by the staff," Pike said.
He said Chase is a good officer who has served the county well since he was hired three years ago. Chase formerly worked for the town of Farmington and the Kennebec County Sheriff's Department and it was at that time he was shot in the chest during an investigation of a domestic assault. His bulletproof vest saved his life, officials said at the time.
Chase, contacted at home, declined to comment.
Franklin County sheriff's Cpl. Steve Charles, the shop steward for the Teamsters local representing the deputies, said he has been in touch with Chase, but had not yet been informed by Pike that an internal investigation was planned.
"This will be governed by the contract and department policies," Charles said. "It will go along the same lines as the grievance process."
"We have started discussions and we will work on Chris' behalf," Charles said. "He is a good officer and one of our better-trained."
The contract lays out rules and a time line following a suspension as well as the steps and time frame for an appeal, if one is sought, he said. As in a grievance, an internal investigation decision can be appealed to the county commissioners and ultimately, to the Maine Labor Relations Board.
A hearing on the criminal charges is set for Jan. 22 in Farmington District Court.
Showing posts with label under the influence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label under the influence. Show all posts
Monday, November 24, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sheriff Lee Baca Plans to BAN Deputies from Carrying Guns when they've Been Drinking
LOS ANGELES
The nation's largest sheriff's department plans to ban deputies from carrying guns if they've been drinking, saying there have been too many arrests of tipsy deputies for drunken driving, brandishing weapons, shooting people and other crimes.
At least 61 Los Angeles County deputies have been arrested this year on alcohol-related charges while off duty, including 39 for driving under the influence. In April 2006, a rookie deputy who had at least 11 drinks while celebrating his return from Marine duty in Iraq shot and killed a friend.
An increase in arrests prompted Sheriff Lee Baca to consider the ban about a year ago, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday.
It was unclear what caused that increase, although Whitmore noted that the number of sworn deputies in the department has increased to more than 10,000. It also may be that other police agencies are making more arrests of intoxicated deputies instead of covering for them as in decades past.
"Thirty, 40 years ago, perhaps they would drive (deputies) home," Whitmore said.
He said the policy could be in place as early as January.
"It's been revised, finalized, the union has been conferred with and the sheriff is prepared to move forward," Whitmore said.
The union is arguing, however, that the policy could put deputies at risk by emboldening people who know they would be unarmed at certain times.
"What should a deputy do when he is with his family and runs into a violent offender he incarcerated?" asked Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Baca dismissed the criticism.
"What the union wants is to convince the public that alcohol use by deputies is of no consequence to public safety," Baca said, adding he was not asking his deputies to take any action he wouldn't take himself.
The policy would be among the more restrictive among law enforcement agencies. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department do not have specific policies about drinking and carrying weapons.
Baca's policy would bar Sheriff's Department employees from carrying or handling weapons if they have used alcohol, medications or controlled substances to the point where they are "unable to exercise reasonable care and control of the firearm."
Since 2004, more than a dozen deputies have been accused of brandishing or shooting guns while under the influence. One deputy was placed on leave after he accidentally shot a man in the leg after drinking at a New Year's party.
Another deputy, Chris Sullivan of Upland, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of his friend in April 2006.
San Bernardino County prosecutors contend that after a night of drinking to celebrate his return from Iraq, the U.S. Marine reservist pulled his service-issued Beretta, put it in Cesar Valdez's mouth and pulled the trigger.
Sullivan's attorney argued that the gun went off by accident as Valdez tried to wrestle it away from Sullivan.
"This tragedy could have been prevented," Baca said. "Alcohol and guns don't mix."
More Information: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-influence11-2008nov11,0,235730.story
The nation's largest sheriff's department plans to ban deputies from carrying guns if they've been drinking, saying there have been too many arrests of tipsy deputies for drunken driving, brandishing weapons, shooting people and other crimes.
At least 61 Los Angeles County deputies have been arrested this year on alcohol-related charges while off duty, including 39 for driving under the influence. In April 2006, a rookie deputy who had at least 11 drinks while celebrating his return from Marine duty in Iraq shot and killed a friend.
An increase in arrests prompted Sheriff Lee Baca to consider the ban about a year ago, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tuesday.
It was unclear what caused that increase, although Whitmore noted that the number of sworn deputies in the department has increased to more than 10,000. It also may be that other police agencies are making more arrests of intoxicated deputies instead of covering for them as in decades past.
"Thirty, 40 years ago, perhaps they would drive (deputies) home," Whitmore said.
He said the policy could be in place as early as January.
"It's been revised, finalized, the union has been conferred with and the sheriff is prepared to move forward," Whitmore said.
The union is arguing, however, that the policy could put deputies at risk by emboldening people who know they would be unarmed at certain times.
"What should a deputy do when he is with his family and runs into a violent offender he incarcerated?" asked Steve Remige, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Baca dismissed the criticism.
"What the union wants is to convince the public that alcohol use by deputies is of no consequence to public safety," Baca said, adding he was not asking his deputies to take any action he wouldn't take himself.
The policy would be among the more restrictive among law enforcement agencies. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department do not have specific policies about drinking and carrying weapons.
Baca's policy would bar Sheriff's Department employees from carrying or handling weapons if they have used alcohol, medications or controlled substances to the point where they are "unable to exercise reasonable care and control of the firearm."
Since 2004, more than a dozen deputies have been accused of brandishing or shooting guns while under the influence. One deputy was placed on leave after he accidentally shot a man in the leg after drinking at a New Year's party.
Another deputy, Chris Sullivan of Upland, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of his friend in April 2006.
San Bernardino County prosecutors contend that after a night of drinking to celebrate his return from Iraq, the U.S. Marine reservist pulled his service-issued Beretta, put it in Cesar Valdez's mouth and pulled the trigger.
Sullivan's attorney argued that the gun went off by accident as Valdez tried to wrestle it away from Sullivan.
"This tragedy could have been prevented," Baca said. "Alcohol and guns don't mix."
More Information: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-influence11-2008nov11,0,235730.story
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Officer Terry Cozad Arrested for Drunk Driving
An off-duty Council Bluffs police officer who was named Officer of the Year earlier this year was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated Oct. 19 in rural Mills County.
Officer Terry Cozad, 38, a member of the Council Bluffs Police Department since 1999, was pulled over by a Mills County Sheriff's Deputy around 8 p.m. along U.S. Highway 275 north of Glenwood.
A Glenwood address is listed for Cozad on an arrest report.
After he was pulled over, the deputy determined Cozad was under the influence of alcohol. Cozad refused a breath alcohol test at the scene to determine his blood alcohol level, according to Mills County Sheriff Mack Taylor. Cozad was arrested and charged with suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Cozad posted bail and was later released.
A Nov. 3 preliminary hearing has been set.
Neither Cozad nor his attorney, Joseph Hrvol of Council Bluffs, could be reached for comment.
A first offense conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated is a serious misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,500. A conviction may also result in suspension of driving privileges.
Council Bluffs Police Chief Keith Mehlen said his department was aware of the incident and that Cozad has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Cozad was the recipient of the department's Officer of the Year award in May for his work with the Police Area Representative Unit (PARU), a special unit dedicated to community policing, gang identification and cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Cozad was awarded the department's Medal of Valor in 2006 after preventing a carjacking. In that incident Cozad shot and killed John Raymond Bothwell after Bothwell backed a stolen vehicle into another officer. The Pottawattamie County Attorney concluded Cozad acted appropriately in the case.
The Oct. 19 incident isn't Cozad's first with Mills County officers. In a July 2001 incident Cozad was charged with first-degree harassment and interference with official acts while armed with a firearm in connection with a 40-minute standoff with Glenwood Police and Mills County Sheriff's Deputies.
In the 2001 incident, officers were called to a domestic dispute at 1102 Sixth St. in Glenwood. When officers arrived, they found Cozad in the driveway of the residence locked in his sport utility vehicle with a firearm. After 40 minutes of communication between officers and Cozad he surrendered to police. Cozad was transported to Council Bluffs hospital for an evaluation.
The harassment charge was later dropped and Cozad received a deferred judgement on an amended interference charge. He was ordered to serve 40 hours of community service and undergo an alcohol evaluation.
Officer Terry Cozad, 38, a member of the Council Bluffs Police Department since 1999, was pulled over by a Mills County Sheriff's Deputy around 8 p.m. along U.S. Highway 275 north of Glenwood.
A Glenwood address is listed for Cozad on an arrest report.
After he was pulled over, the deputy determined Cozad was under the influence of alcohol. Cozad refused a breath alcohol test at the scene to determine his blood alcohol level, according to Mills County Sheriff Mack Taylor. Cozad was arrested and charged with suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Cozad posted bail and was later released.
A Nov. 3 preliminary hearing has been set.
Neither Cozad nor his attorney, Joseph Hrvol of Council Bluffs, could be reached for comment.
A first offense conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated is a serious misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,500. A conviction may also result in suspension of driving privileges.
Council Bluffs Police Chief Keith Mehlen said his department was aware of the incident and that Cozad has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Cozad was the recipient of the department's Officer of the Year award in May for his work with the Police Area Representative Unit (PARU), a special unit dedicated to community policing, gang identification and cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Cozad was awarded the department's Medal of Valor in 2006 after preventing a carjacking. In that incident Cozad shot and killed John Raymond Bothwell after Bothwell backed a stolen vehicle into another officer. The Pottawattamie County Attorney concluded Cozad acted appropriately in the case.
The Oct. 19 incident isn't Cozad's first with Mills County officers. In a July 2001 incident Cozad was charged with first-degree harassment and interference with official acts while armed with a firearm in connection with a 40-minute standoff with Glenwood Police and Mills County Sheriff's Deputies.
In the 2001 incident, officers were called to a domestic dispute at 1102 Sixth St. in Glenwood. When officers arrived, they found Cozad in the driveway of the residence locked in his sport utility vehicle with a firearm. After 40 minutes of communication between officers and Cozad he surrendered to police. Cozad was transported to Council Bluffs hospital for an evaluation.
The harassment charge was later dropped and Cozad received a deferred judgement on an amended interference charge. He was ordered to serve 40 hours of community service and undergo an alcohol evaluation.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Cpl Matthew Spain Arrested for Being Under the Influence
A local law enforcement officer was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of an unknown substance while on duty, officials said.
Palm Desert police Cpl. Matthew Spain, a Riverside County sheriff's deputy, was arrested just before 1 a.m. Oct. 11.
“He was later evaluated and booked,” Palm Desert police Lt. Greg Ammons said Friday.
Spain has since been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
Additional information was not available.
Palm Desert contracts for police services with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
More Information: Updated Nov. 1, 2008 http://www.mydesert.com/article/20081018/NEWS0801/810180342/1006/news01
Palm Desert police Cpl. Matthew Spain, a Riverside County sheriff's deputy, was arrested just before 1 a.m. Oct. 11.
“He was later evaluated and booked,” Palm Desert police Lt. Greg Ammons said Friday.
Spain has since been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
Additional information was not available.
Palm Desert contracts for police services with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
More Information: Updated Nov. 1, 2008 http://www.mydesert.com/article/20081018/NEWS0801/810180342/1006/news01
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