A state trooper has been arrested under suspicion of drunk driving, according to local authorities. Police in Waterbury arrested a Connecticut State Police trooper early in the morning of March 15. He now faces a DUI charge and was taken into custody. He has since been released on a $500 nonsurety bond, and will be appearing in court in April.
Information about the incident is limited at this time, but it appears that around 12:50 a.m. officers responded to a 911 call about a parked police cruiser. The vehicle was found on the right-hand shoulder of I-84 in Waterbury, with its hazard lights on. The driver, a Middletown officer, appeared to be asleep or otherwise unresponsive at the wheel.
When officers approached him, they requested that he take a breath test to determine his level of sobriety. The man agreed to take the test, but reportedly failed. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. It has not been made public whether he will be suspended from his work as a police officer, though in cases where an officer is charged with a crime, this is not an uncommon response.
If this officer is found guilty on a DUI charge, it could change his life forever. He could face the loss of his career in law enforcement here in Connecticut, the loss of his driver’s license as well as the damage to his personal and professional reputation. This is why he will be represented in court by a defense attorney who will work carefully to determine the facts of the case. The attorney will go on to build a compelling case against these charges, in an effort to see the charges reduced or dropped altogether.