County police were patrolling an area of highways just after 5 p.m. one recent evening when an officer reported seeing a car traveling between 80 and 90 mph in a 55 mph zone near a highway construction area. The officer gave pursuit and was able to intercept the car. When the officer approached the car, he says he saw the driver wearing a police uniform. She was apparently a 49-year-old North Carolina State Police officer.
The driver allegedly told police she was late for an off-duty assignment in Raleigh. However, the arresting officer says she registered .09 blood alcohol content. The state limit is .08. It is unknown what prompted the arresting officer to request that the driver take a breath test.
During the traffic stop, the arresting officer also noted that the allegedly impaired driver was wearing her duty belt, which contained her police-issued firearm and a stun gun. The officer confiscated these items along with the driver's police badge. She had been driving her personal vehicle, not a patrol car, and officers impounded that vehicle.
The future is uncertain for this police officer following her arrest for drunk driving. She has already lost her vehicle for the time being and is now the subject of an internal department investigation. Her position as an officer of the law may work against her if she is convicted, and the presence of her weapon may increase the severity of the charges and any penalties that result.
This woman is not alone in having her career at stake due to drunk driving charges. Convictions for such offenses often complicate the lives of those drivers -- personally, professionally and financially. An experienced North Carolina attorney can build a strong defense strategy beginning with questioning the administration and validity of the BAC test.
Source: jocoreport.com, "Police Officer Arrested", Dec. 4, 2017
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