A South Carolina police officer was recently taken off duty after being arrested and charged with drunk driving. The 30-year-old officer was arrested by the Richland County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Department after he was allegedly spotted driving erratically. For a police officer, a charge of DUI is exceedingly serious because it could mean the end of his or her career in law enforcement.
The policeman in this case was pulled over by deputies at approximately 3:45 a.m. during the morning on Saturday, Nov. 2. According to the Sheriff, the man exhibited symptoms of intoxication upon exiting his vehicle. The Sheriff claims that the man was not steady on his feet, and multiple open containers of alcohol were allegedly discovered inside the man’s automobile.
It has not been disclosed if deputies administered field sobriety tests on the man. It is also unclear if deputies used a Breathalyzer test or took blood samples from the man to determine his blood alcohol content level. According to the South Carolina Police Department, which employed the officer, he will remain suspended without pay until the completion of their investigation into the incident.
This police officer must now face a suspension without pay, and depending on the results of the police department’s’ investigation, he could lose his job. He will also be required to confront the DUI allegations that have been lodged against him. In order to prevent the temporary loss of his driving privileges, he will require a legal defense that takes into account all the laws, factual allegations and circumstances involved in his case. In the best of outcomes, it is possible for some individuals that are accused of DUI to get all of their charges dropped; however, it may require diligence and attention to detail to succeed.
Source: wmbfnews.com, Columbia police officer charged with DUI, No author, Nov. 4, 2013