Highway Patrol Officer Eric Lund Arrested for Child Porn

A longtime California Highway Patrol sergeant nearing retirement now faces child pornography charges.

Eric Lund, 49, is from Chico, but was arrested in Fairfield at the CHP office where he works.

He lives part of his professional life in the public eye, but in his personal life, neighbors describe him as reclusive, and say he hardly ever came outside.

Part of his job was to talk to the press as a police spokesman, but at home, his neighbors wondered why he said next to nothing to them.

On his former Chico street, the sergeant and his family were known to some as a neighborhood mystery.

“They had a couple children, I guess, but we never saw them outside. I wouldn’t even know what they looked like,” said former neighbor Mary Young.

Vacaville Police had a mystery of their own. Using sophisticated software, a detective was tracking an unknown person downloading child pornography in Suisun, Fairfield and Vacaville.

Police say they traced the downloads to a surprising suspect—Sgt. Lund. They allege he looked at child pornography on and off duty. During a search of his personal car, investigators say they found a hard drive with nearly two-dozen videos.

“Oh my gosh, that’s too bad. I hope he gets the help he needs. People like that need help,” said former neighbor Richard Young.

Neighbors say Lund moved to an upscale neighborhood north of Chico. He’s out on bail, but nobody answered the door at his most recent address.

Police say Lund took a temporary transfer to the Fairfield CHP and would stay in the area during his work week. At age 49, investigators say the sergeant with a six-figure salary was already contemplating retirement.

The CHP released a statement calling the charges and disturbing. They have put Lund on administrative leave and stripped him of his peace officer powers.

Tulsa Officer Shannon Kepler Kills Daughter's Boyfriend

A Tulsa police husband and wife were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man on a street near downtown, and the couple's daughter said her father shot at her, too.

Shannon Kepler, 54, a 24-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department, was booked into the Tulsa Jail on first-degree murder and shooting with intent to kill complaints. His wife, Gina, 48, also a Tulsa police officer, was jailed on an accessory to murder complaint.

The two weren't on duty at the time the shooting of 19-year-old Jeremy Lake occurred in the 200 block of North Maybelle Avenue about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Shannon Kepler works at TPD's police academy and worked Tuesday, public information officer Jillian Roberson said. Gina Kepler is a patrol officer at the department's Gilcrease division, and did not work Tuesday, Roberson said.

Both are held at the Tulsa jail, police chief Chuck Jordan said, but are confined in an area away from other inmates they may have come into contact with on the job.

The gun involved in the shooting was not a service weapon, Jordan said. Police have not said whether the weapon has been recovered.

Police said an argument occurred between Lake and Shannon Kepler, who was in a black Chevrolet Suburban. Lake, who reportedly was with Kepler's daughter, was shot "two or three times" after he told Kepler that he was her boyfriend, according to an arrest report.

Lisa Kepler, the 18-year-old daughter of Shannon and Gina Kepler, spoke with the Tulsa World on Wednesday morning from the front porch of the home she shared with the homicide victim, who also was her boyfriend.

Lisa Kepler and Lake were walking back from Guthrie Green and were in the street in front of their home when a black SUV pulled up, and Shannon Kepler stepped out.

Lisa Kepler said her father shouted at her and that as Lake attempted to introduce himself, Shannon Kepler shot Lake.

Lisa Kepler said she had attempted to stop the shooting but then ran and hid behind a large rose bush in the front yard as her father fired a shot at her that missed. Lisa Kepler said she told authorities it was her dad who was the triggerman.

"I'm not scared of my dad," she said, in tears and openly wondering why he would shoot someone he didn't know.

Josh Mills, 23, a friend of Lake's, said he was also at the scene during the shooting. He said Shannon Kepler also fired a shot at Lake's 13-year-old brother, who was sitting on the front porch. The bullet ricocheted and grazed the boy in the upper arm, Mills said.

Mills said he had paramedic training and tried to stem Lake's bleeding and locate the bullet wounds. Mills said it appeared Lake had been shot in the chest and neck from about 3-feet away. Mills and Lake hadn't known each other long but had become close.

"He was like a brother to me for two weeks," Mills said, tearing up as he described how Lake died in his arms.

Lisa Kepler said her parents had kicked her out of their home recently because of poor "life decisions" she had made and dropped her off at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. Lisa Kepler declined to say what those life decisions were.

"I really hope they rot in prison for a very long time," Lisa Kepler said of her parents.

A neighbor of the Kepler family, who wished not to be identified, said the husband and wife are "wonderful neighbors." She said the parents had "given and given" to their three daughters.

Friends and neighbors said the couple had adopted Lisa Kepler and her two siblings several years ago.

"They've done everything in the world for (Lisa)," the neighbor said.

She said Shannon and Gina Kepler were the type of neighbors who would shovel sidewalks or bring food over.

A second neighbor, who also asked for anonymity, said he was "tickled to death" two police officers lived nearby because it made the neighborhood feel secure. The neighbor said he didn't have a lot of interaction with the Keplers, whom he called "the perfect neighbors," but that Gina Kepler sometimes would stop in her patrol car and say hi to him.

"The whole neighborhood — it's unbelievable," the neighbor said when asked if he was surprised by the turn of events.

Lisa Kepler said the Day Center is where she met Lake, who offered to let her live with himself and his aunt, Pam Wilkins, within the past week. She said Lake was a sweet man and had been nothing but good to her since they had met.

Sandra Lewis, executive director of the Day Center, said Lake had never been a volunteer or employee with, nor a client of the center.

Lewis said she knew of Lake and that he "came around" sometimes. There weren't any incident reports involving him, she said. Lake would help carry in donations or pick up trash.

"He was always very helpful," Lewis said.

Wilkins, 50, said Lake had "a lot of love" for people, including those in the homeless community. She said her nephew was "the life of the party."

"No matter if we argued, he never let a day go by without saying, 'I love you,'" Wilkins said.

Police said Shannon Kepler turned himself in after investigators contacted his wife, Gina Kepler.

The couple are expected to be placed on paid administrative leave until they are charged, Roberson said.

Lake's death is the city's 27th homicide.

Former Officer Manuel Williams Sentenced for Child Molestation

DeKalb County prosecutors say a former police officer has been sentenced on child molestation charges.

Officials said Tuesday that former DeKalb County police officer Manuel Williams was sentenced to 10-years and is ordered to serve five of them in detention.

Prosecutors say Williams resigned from the department after he was arrested on molestation charges in 2012.

Officials say Williams is expected to be taken back into custody Friday. Williams have to register as a sex offender and is also ordered to undergo sex offender treatment.

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Previous Story - Arrest

Detective Joshua Boyd Charged with Domestic Violence

A Maricopa police detective accused of assaulting his wife and son during a domestic dispute was arrested Saturday and put on paid leave.

Detective Joshua Boyd, 41, faces charges of aggravated assault, assault, disorderly conduct and criminal damage, according to a press release Monday from the City of Maricopa Police Department.

Officers responded to a domestic violence call at 4:02 a.m. Saturday. Alcohol is considered to be a factor.

"The victim...explained she was pushed by her husband...causing her to fall to the floor and injure her right wrist. It was also learned her 14-year-old son was assaulted by Boyd while trying to protect his mother," the release said.

Both were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Boyd is also accused of striking a separation gate with a broom until it was bent and non-functional and of breaking the broom over his knee, the release said.

Boyd was booked into the Pinal County Jail. He will be placed on paid administrated leave pending an internal investigation.

Boyd, a Maricopa Police Department member since 2007, is currently assigned to the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force.

Officer Leon Sealey Arrested for Domestic Violence

An officer with the Columbia Police Department has been arrested in connection with a domestic incident involving his wife, officials say.

Master Police Officer Leon Sealey, 64, was arrested Sunday, according to Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Capt. Chris Cowan.

Deputies with the sheriff’s department responded to a disturbance at the officer’s address in a residential area northeast of Columbia around noon, Cowan said.

It was unclear whether Sealey and his wife had been arguing, but Sealey had threatened her and stuck a gun in her face, Cowan said.

Sealey was charged with criminal domestic violence and taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

Sealey also was suspended without pay pending the sheriff department's investigation, Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said.

Lt. Benito Gonzalez Jr Accused of Masturbating in Starbucks

A high-ranking officer of the Camden County Police Department is accused of committing a lewd act in a Cherry Hill coffee shop.

Lt. Benito Gonzalez Jr., who supervises the department's narcotics unit, has been removed from duty over allegations that he masturbated in public at a Route 70 Starbucks, a county spokesman said Monday.

The Deptford man was arrested Friday in connection with the May 7 incident, according to Cherry Hill police records.

"We are deeply troubled by the allegations of this off-duty conduct," said county spokesman Dan Keashen. "A swift and thorough investigation is being conducted."

According to the police report, Gonzalez allegedly pulled down his shorts and exposed himself at the coffee shop, "knowing or reasonably expecting that the act was likely to be observed by a non-consenting person who likely would be affronted or alarmed."

Gonzalez left the shop, but a Starbucks employee reported the incident to police immediately, said company spokeswoman Laurel Harper.

"Our top priority is to provide a safe environment for our customers and employees, and we take all reports of inappropriate activity in our stores very seriously," she said.

Gonzalez was charged with a disorderly persons lewdness offense, according to a Cherry Hill police spokeswoman, Lt. Amy Winters. "The investigation is still ongoing," she said.

Keashen offered a similar outlook.

"We are working to ascertain all of the facts in this matter with Cherry Hill Police Department and the Camden County Prosecutor's Office," Keashen said.

Police posted surveillance photos of a suspect after the incident at the department's Facebook page, but they were no longer online Monday.

The incident occurred at a Starbucks in the 1100 block of Route 70, at the Kinko's Plaza.

Gonzalez is a 17-year veteran and a former member of the city-run police department that was disbanded to make way for the county force.

Gonzalez was honored by the county police department in July 2013, after he and two other officers helped an elderly woman return home to Kentucky after she got lost and ended up in Camden. Gonzalez found the woman asleep in a car at 2nd and Clinton streets; with two detectives, he got the woman to a Brooklawn motel and contacted a relative.

The officers then accompanied the woman to a Philadelphia bus station to ensure her return home.

Officer Chris Buffaloe Faces Child Sex Crimes

A veteran law enforcement officer and noted canine handler and trainer has been charged with numerous counts for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl.

Christopher (Chris) Turner Buffaloe, 27, of Conway, was jailed Tuesday on $1,294,000 bond and has a first court appearance in Northampton County today (Thursday).

The date of offenses, according to warrants filed in the Northampton County Courthouse, and based on investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, range from March 1 to April 14.

The SBI investigation shows Buffaloe allegedly committed a range of crimes against the girl, from sexual intercourse to sending photos of his genitalia.

He faces the following charges:

Six counts of felony statutory rape that include alleged sexual activity with the child;

One count of indecent liberties with a child that alleges he committed and attempted to commit a lewd and lascivious act with the child;

One count of felony second-degree exploitation of a minor, a count that alleges he received and solicited material that contained a visual representation of a minor engaged in sexual activity and a picture of the child’s sexual organ. The count alleges he asked the victim to send him naked pictures;

One count of felony solicitation of a child by computer. This count alleges soliciting by means of a computer and through texting a meeting for the purpose of committing an unlawful sexual act with the child; and

One count of disseminating obscene material, a charge that alleges he sent a picture of his genitalia to the child.

Buffaloe has worked with several law enforcement agencies in Northampton and Halifax counties throughout his career, to include the Seaboard Police Department. He was named in January of 2010 at the Captain of Conway-Severn Rescue Squad, an entity that offers a Juniors (ages 14-17) program in an effort to get young people interested in becoming the next generation of EMT’s.

Lt. Eduardo Raposo Charged with Assault Has Retired for the Force

A Fall River police officer arrested in Swansea on charges he kicked a woman has retired from the force, Fall River’s police chief confirmed Monday.

While Fall River’s chief did not elaborate on the charges against Lt. Eduardo Raposo, Swansea Police Chief George Arruda said the officer was arrested at 9:30 p.m. last Wednesday night after Swansea police were called to a home on Kensington Court.

Arruda said officers were met in the driveway by a woman who told them Raposo kicked her while he was intoxicated. She also reportedly told officers Raposo had a gun and he was waiving it around. Arruda said Raposo was inside the home and turned over to police a 9mm gun – which was locked in a safe.

Arruda said Swansea police charged Raposo with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and carrying a firearm while intoxicated.

Following Raposo’s arrest, Fall River Police Chief Daniel S. Racine said he immediately suspended Raposo’s license to carry a firearm and began the process for a termination hearing.

“To say I am disturbed about this latest incident would be a gross understatement,” Racine said in a statement Monday. “The conduct detailed by the Swansea Police Department is disturbing and will not be tolerated by the Fall River Police Department.”

However, before that termination process played out, Racine said he got word from Fall River’s Retirement Board that on May 15 Raposo retired from the Fall River Police Dept. effective immediately.

Racine said Lt. Raposo, by retiring, removed himself the department’s purview of rules, regulations, and disciplinary procedures.

Officer Lonnie Morris Arrested for Drunk Driving in Patrol Car

A Chandler police officer was arrested Sunday morning for allegedly driving under the influence.

Seth Tyler with the Chandler Police Department confirmed that one of its officers was arrested for suspected DUI at 10:36 a.m.

He said the officer showed up for an "extra-duty" job near Arizona Avenue just south of Queen Creek Road and appeared to be impaired.

Tyler identified the officer as 53-year-old Lonnie Morris, a 19-year veteran with the Department.

Tyler said the officer was processed and has been placed on paid-administrative leave pending an internal investigation. The officer was then transferred to a local hospital for observation.

Tyler said the officer was driving a Chandler police patrol car.

Cpl. David Harrison Arrested for Domestic Assault and Battery

A Tulsa Police officer was booked into the county jail on a complaint of domestic assault and battery early Wednesday.

According to an arrest report, Cpl. David Harrison, 51, was arrested at his home late Tuesday after a woman told officers Harrison hit her with a liquor bottle and sexually assaulted her during a struggle. The report also says the woman claims Harrison defecated in the bed, pushed her in it and then ordered her to clean it up.

Police spokesperson Officer Jill Roberson said Harrison has been suspended with pay pending an internal investigation.

A police report states a "sexual assault investigation" has been submitted to the Tulsa County DA's office for review.

Roberson says David Harrison has been an officer with their department since 1988.

Jail records show he has a May 14 court appearance set.

Officer Elliot Rodriguez Arrested for Assaulting Family Member

Elliot Rodriguez was arrested on suspicion of assault of a family member-choking/strangulation, according to an affidavit.

Rodriguez, 42,  is a Helotes Police officer, according to a Bexar County District Clerk. Rodriguez went to his female companion's house after work around 3 a.m. Sunday when he got in an argument with her about a conversation she had with a male friend over text messages, according to the affidavit.

Rodriguez allegedly became angry and grabbed her and began choking her, leaving two red marks, according to the affidavit.

According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, Rodriguez has been with the Helotes Police Department for close to 15 years and was with the Live Oak Police Department for more than a year.

Former Officer John Phillips Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

A longtime former Texas A&M police officer has been sentenced to prison time for possession of Child Pornography and burglary.

The Brazos County District Attorney's office says 56-year-old John Phillips was sentenced to 10 years in prison - with eligibility for probation after 6 months.

Phillips pleaded guilty to five counts of child porn possession and two counts of burglary for pawning stolen items taken on campus.

Prosecutors say all counts are felonies, and Phillips will have to register as a sex offender.

Former Officer Christopher Fox Accused of Allowing Underaged Teens to Drink

A former North Olmsted police officer accused of allowing underage drinking at his home is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Christopher Fox, 49, who was fired by the department on Nov. 21, faces 31 charges of liquor offenses involving underage persons stemming from a New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day party at his Barton Road home.

North Olmsted Law Director Michael Gareau and Anthony Manning, an attorney representing Fox, did not immediately return voicemails seeking comment.

Manning has filed a motion to have some of the charges against Fox dismissed, court records show.

An oral hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, and a jury trial is scheduled to begin on May 27, although a jury trial was scheduled and then postponed in March, court records said.

Shortly after Fox was fired, Gareau told the Northeast Ohio Media Group that his dismissal was unrelated to the charges against him.

Fox was let go for abuse of sick leave, according to his personnel file, which North Olmsted provided to the Northeast Ohio Media Group in December.

The 23-year veteran of the North Olmsted police force was first disciplined for improperly using sick leave in 1998 when he was suspended for five days for sick leave abuse, his file said.

His file shows a pattern of abusing sick leave during his tenure with the North Olmsted police department. In 2012 he was suspended for another sick leave violation and disciplined for failing to report for duty because of off-duty alcohol consumption.

Officer Jennifer Gautier Arrested for Doctor Shopping

A veteran Hammond Police Department officer was arrested on a charge of possession of a controlled dangerous substance by fraud, the department announced Tuesday in a news release.

According to the release, Officer Jennifer Payne Gautier, 35, was found by investigators to be "doctor shopping" to obtain multiple prescriptions of controlled substances.

She turned herself in to investigators Tuesday. She was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance by fraud.

Gautier served with the department for 13 years and will be placed on administrative leave until due process of the courts.

Former Officer Donald Glunt Arrested for Child Porn

Detectives arrested a former Lynden police officer Friday as part of a child pornography investigation.

Detectives arrested 57-year-old Donald Glunt, who was taken into custody without incident.

According to investigators, Glunt had recently resigned his position with the Lynden Police Department.

Detectives said the investigation originated after officials with the Lynden Police Department discovered images on Glunt’s city-owned cellphone while conducting an internal administrative investigation.

On Wednesday, Lynden Police Department’s Chief Jack Foster asked the Washington State Patrol to conduct a criminal investigation.

Detectives reviewed digital evidence and interviewed Glunt, which led to his arrest.

According to investigators, Glunt was trading images with a 16-year-old girl in Texas. Authorities in Texas assisted detectives by interviewing the victim.

The incident remains as an ongoing investigation.

Glunt was booked into the Skagit County Jail on charges of dealing and possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and viewing of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Former Pedophile Officer Jerry Ballinger Will NOT go to Prison After Rape of Child

A former police officer and mentor gets probation—not prison—after pleading guilty to child sex crimes.

Last year, Augusta cop Jerry Ballinger was arrested and charged with having sex with a 14-year-old girl. He entered a plea agreement and will serve his punishment outside the walls of prison.

Some are calling and a slap on the wrist.

Ballinger pleaded guilty in February to one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. And just this week, KAKE’s I-Team was the only TV crew in Butler County when Ballinger was sentenced to five years probation.

When the I-Team heard that sentence, we dug deeper to find out what the average sentence is for first time sex offenders.

In Kansas, it's is up to eight years behind bars and the convict will be placed on the state’s sex offender registry for the rest of their life.

Here’s what Judge David Ricke told the 44-year-old former cop in court:

“Ballinger falls into a category of offender who present a problem and concern for society,” he said, “and therefore must be watched closely the rest of his life and supervised.”

Ballinger worked in law enforcement for more that 20 years. He met his 14-year-old victim at the Augusta public safety office when she was volunteering as a junior firefighter.

The girl, a middle school student at the time, testified during a preliminary hearing that the cop befriended her. She said he took her out to the country several times and the two had sexual intercourse last year.

The victim’s father said he is furious with the probation sentence. He said what happened to his little girl will scar her for the rest of her life.

Assistant Butler County Attorney Cheryl Pierce prosecuted the case. She said that based on the fact that he’s 44-years-old and was a cop at the time, and the victim was a 14-year-old girl, Ballinger should be in prison based on that fact alone.

Butler County Attorney Darrin Divinney told the KAKE I-Team he entered the plea deal with Ballinger, saying, “Some cases have overwhelming evidence. This one had only circumstantial evidence. Given that fact, there was a far greater risk of acquittal.”

Divinney told the court he did not join in the defense request of just probation, but he also didn’t actively oppose the request.

Judge Ricke ruled that Ballinger would be better served for treatment on probation instead of behind bars, based on a doctor’s report.

“... The strength of doctor Steffan's evaluation report, which indicated that defendant was a low risk to reoffend, that the defendant was amenable to treatment, and that he had a favorable prognosis for treatment, and that he was favorable candidate for probation."

For many in the community, the sentence was a big disappointment.

Officer Bradley Wax Arrested for Child Porn

A New Orleans police officer has been arrested and booked under allegations of possessing child pornography.

According to the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, Bradley Wax, 54, has been arrested and charged with 38 counts of possessing pornography involving juveniles.

Wax, a 16-year veteran assigned to the New Orleans Police Department's 4th District, was arrested in St. Tammany and has been booked in the St. Tammany Parish jail.

According to the attorney general's office, an undercover operation led investigators to securing a search warrant on Wax's home in January. After searching his computer and other electronic devices, investigators found Wax had child pornography.

The NOPD has placed Wax on emergency suspension without pay pending the outcome of an ongoing criminal investigation. He faces 20 years in prison on each count of child pornography.

The case was a joint investigation by the attorney general's cyber crimes unit, the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Officer Michelle Coffey Arrested for Drunk Driving

A Coon Rapids police officer is scheduled to appear in court next month on suspicion of driving drunk while off duty two weeks ago.

Michelle Coffey, 43, was arrested April 10 after the vehicle she was driving was involved in a property damage accident in Ramsey and the responding officer detected a strong smell of alcohol on Coffey's breath, according to an incident report provided Tuesday by Ramsey police.

Coffey, a patrol officer, has been employed with the Coon Rapids Police Department for at least 15 years, according to Police Chief Brad Wise.

"She is taking this very seriously and will be taking proactive steps to address it," said Mike Brandt, Coffey's attorney.

The incident took place at 4:42 a.m. at the intersection of Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Nowthen Boulevard.

Coffey was reportedly traveling on Sunfish Lake Boulevard with a male passenger when she went to turn onto Nowthen Boulevard and pulled out in front of another car, the incident report said.

The other vehicle ended up hitting Coffey on the driver's side, causing heavy damage to both vehicles. Nobody was hurt.

Coffey, who initially told the investigating officer that she had not been driving, failed sobriety tests at the scene.

She recorded a 0.19 blood-alcohol concentration at the Ramsey police station.

She faces two misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and is scheduled to be arraigned May 9 in Anoka County District Court.

Wise described Coffey as a "good person and a great cop" who has no sustained complaints in her personnel file.

She will remain on active duty as her case makes its way through the court system.

"She will respond to the citation and the courts will deal with it and, once that happens, obviously as an employer we will deal with it, also," Wise said. "She made a mistake and she needs to answer for that, but I hope she gets treated just like everybody else."

Lt Dennis Miller Jr Arrested for Child Rape

The Knox County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant arrested on child rape charges was out on bond Thursday night.

Police say they arrested Dennis Mills Jr., 43, on April 9 and indicted him on a number of charges, including rape of a child and statutory rape by an authority figure.

Mills was arrested without incident following a month-long investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations and Knox County Sheriff's Office.

He was originally being held in the Knox County Detention Facility, but Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones decided to move Mills to the Blount County Jail to avoid any appearance of favoritism. He was being held there on a $250,000 bond.

According to Knox County court records, the girl approached her mother just before midnight on March 3, crying. She told her mother Mills had been forcing her to have sex with him for over a year.

According to court records she also told her mother the defendant told her she would be taken away from her mother if she told and no one would believe her.

TBI was then contacted and the investigation began.

According to his personnel file, Mills was hired by the Knox County Sheriff's Office as a corrections officer in 1994.

He became a certified law enforcement officer in 1996. He was promoted to a patrol lieutenant in 2000.

All reviews were positive until the investigation began on March 4.

The Knox County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation and placed him on administrative leave without pay at that point.

KCSO says they terminated Mills Tuesday.

Officer James Stewart Arrested for DUI

 Springfield police officer James Stewart, a 15-year-veteran of the force, was arrested for driving under the influence early Saturday morning while off duty, according to a press release issued by the city Monday.

    Officers responded to a disabled vehicle in the 1600 block of Stevenson Drive where they saw Stewart behind the wheel of a vehicle.

    Stewart was arrested for DUI and taken to Sangamon County Jail. He is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of both the criminal and internal investigation, the press release stated.

    “The police department takes these allegations seriously, and it is an unfortunate situation,” Chief Kenny Winslow said in a statement. “As officers we are held to a higher standard. I remind you that Stewart, like everyone else, is entitled to his rights under the law.”

    Stewart’s lawyer, Dan Fultz, said Monday his client is concerned about the allegations and asks the public to let the investigation run its course.

    Stewart works in the field operations division.