Police chief accused of drunk driving

by | Feb 8, 2018 | Drunk Driving

A township police chief is under fire for allegedly driving while intoxicated back in January, according to police. The 53-year-old veteran of the force was arrested by his fellow Pennsylvania officers on Jan. 10 after a routine traffic stop. He has reportedly been on paid sick leave since his arrest, and now faces two misdemeanor drunk driving charges. 

According to the report, around 4 p.m. on Jan. 10 the officer was pulled over by New Holland police. They did not make mention of the reason why they pulled him over in the report. However, they say they had sufficient reason to suspect him of being intoxicated, leading them to conduct a breath test at roadside. 

The result of the breath test brought back a blood alcohol level of .163, roughly twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania. He was arrested and charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol. His case is being handled by a county DUI court. He was scheduled to be arraigned on March 1. Apparently, he has been out on sick leave since the arrest, and his employer is aware of the pending charges.

Drunk driving charges are enough to end the career of even a veteran police officer. Thankfully, there are a variety of ways his defense team can proceed in court, with the intent of countering the charges filed against him by Pennsylvania authorities. As always, the burden of proof lies with the prosecution to provide compelling evidence of his intoxication at the time of the traffic stop when he was arrested. 

Source: lancasteronline.com, “Chester County police chief charged with DUI in New Holland“, Lindsey Blest, Feb. 2, 2018

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