An officer in Everett has been charged following a rollover crash, according to local sources. The Washington police lieutenant is facing DUI charges after an Aug. 25 accident in which the man apparently rolled his truck and trailer. The 60-year-old veteran is currently the subject of an internal departmental investigation, and is not currently working in his capacity as the head of the investigations division.
According to police reports from the night of the accident, the man crashed his truck as well as a 12-foot trailer. When police arrived on the scene, they conducted roadside sobriety and Breathalyzer tests. Apparently one of the tests registered .207, well above the .08 legal limit in Washington. It is unclear how many tests were taken, and what the rest of them registered.
No other vehicles were involved in the crash, and the officer was not on duty at the time of the accident. The 25-year veteran of the police force is not in custody ahead of a court date. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Charging a police officer with a crime, especially an officer with such a long history with the force, can be devastating to his or her career. Nevertheless, Washington prosecutors will need to bring compelling evidence forward to support the DUI charges against the lieutenant, including any chemical tests that allegedly supports the charge. Despite the fact that the accused man is himself a law enforcement officer, he is entitled to the same legal protections that are guaranteed to all individuals accused of a crime.
Source: q13fox.com, “Everett officer charged with DUI after rollover crash“, Oct. 19, 2015