drunk and drugged up cops

CPD officer fired, charged with criminal domestic violence, DUI

A Columbia Police officer is out of a job and in jail after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and operated a motor vehicle while under the influence. Interim Columbia Police Chief Ruben Santiago said 41-year-old Gerald Atkinson was released from his duties Tuesday.

The termination stems from allegations that Atkinson was involved in criminal domestic violence incidents in the City of Columbia and Lexington County. He is also accused of driving under the influence in Lexington County.
According to a Lexington County Sheriff's Department incident report, a Columbia Police Department sergeant notified deputies that Atkinson was involved in a domestic situation Friday night at a Lexington County home not far from the Lake Murray dam.

 

Case of Jersey City officer charged with drunk driving being investigated for possible criminality

 The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office has taken over the case of an off-duty Jersey City police detective charged with drunk driving and firing his gun in an unmarked police car he was not authorized to have.

The Prosecutor's Office will determine if criminal charges will be filed, officials said today.
Jersey City Municipal Court Judge Carlo Abad notified Detective William Kallert that the Prosecutor’s Office had taken over his case when the officer made his first court appearance on the charges today at 1:40 p.m. in the municipal court building on Summit Avenue.
Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Gene Rubino said the driving while intoxicated charge is being taken over by the Prosecutor’s Office and the incident remains under investigation. The office would determine if there is any criminality involved, he said.
After Kallert’s arrest, Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said city officials would pursue all possible charges against Kallert, including termination, in light of the alleged unauthorized use of the city vehicle.
Kallert was arrested on July 4 after officers responding to Kennedy Boulevard and Lake Street at 3 a.m. on a report of a vehicle blocking the roadway found Kallert in the vehicle, officials said.
The 28-year veteran of the department was charged with driving while intoxicated and immediately suspended without pay, officials said, adding that Kallert's service weapon was seized. Further investigation revealed Kallert had apparently discharged the weapon while in the vehicle, prior to the arrival of the officers, officials said. No one was injured.
The officers also saw that the East District detective was in an unmarked Jersey City police vehicle he was not authorized to use outside of work hours, officials said.
Kallert wore white cargo pants and a blue and white striped, dress shirt when he appeared in court this afternoon for the hearing that lasted about five minutes. He did not speak at the the hearing at which he was represented by attorney Susanne Lavelle, standing in for Dennis McAlevy. Lavelle said she had no comment as she and Kallert left the courtroom.
Kallert, who was suspended without pay, earned $111,000 a year.
The Jersey City Municipal Court handles cases involving disorderly persons offenses and ordinance and traffic violations, including driving while intoxicated. The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office handles criminal cases.

 

 

Lowell cop arrested on DWI charge

LOWELL -- A well-known police officer was placed on paid administrative leave, with pay, late last week after he was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol in the Back Central neighborhood.

Eric Wayne, 39, who is a Lowell resident, was arrested by Lowell police on July 4 near the intersection of Lawrence and Rogers Street.

While having lunch at Live Alive a couple years ago, Wayne parked his cruiser in a handicapped parking place on Middle Street, for which he received a reprimand.

According to court documents, police Lt. Daniel Larocque, the shift supervisor that day, said that at around noon on July 4, he became involved in an "administrative matter" concerning Wayne. Larocque wrote that after speaking to another officer about the situation, he parked his cruiser at the end of Hanks Street by Rogers Street waiting for Wayne's white 2013 Land Rover to pass by.

While parked at that location, Larocque wrote in his report that he spotted Wayne's vehicle turn right on Rogers Street from the other side of Hanks Street. Wayne stopped at a red light, and Larocque pulled up behind him, got out and approached Wayne, telling him to pull into the parking lot of a local liquor store.

Due to the "sensitive nature" of the incident, Larocque asked Wayne to stand near his police cruiser so he could speak to him. During the interaction, Larocque wrote that he could smell alcohol on Wayne's breath, and noticed his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Wayne appeared unsteady on his feet, Larocque said.

"As I continued to speak with him, his talk became irrational at times," Larocque wrote, describing Wayne's behavior.

Wayne would be talking about the "administrative matter" he and Larocque were discussing, Larocque wrote, and then Wayne would say he was leaving the department and he was tired of the department watching him.

Larocque had requested that a department Employee Assistance Program officer respond to the scene to speak to Wayne, according to court documents.

Larocque asked Wayne to perform a field sobriety test. Initially, Wayne refused, then he agreed. He failed the tests, Larocque wrote.

Larocque arrested him.

Back at the station, Wayne refused a Breathalyzer test. Under state law, refusing the Breathalyzer test means an automatic 180-day loss of license.

During an inventory search of Wayne's vehicle, police found some money, which was returned to him, some partially eaten food and an open bottle of beer.

Wayne is the son of the late Lowell police Detective Gerald A. Wayne, who died April 8, 2009, after a battle with cancer. The elder Wayne posthumously received a department citation in 2011 for investigating the cold-case murder of 15-year-old John Joseph McCabe of Dracut, whose body was found in September 1969 in a vacant field off Maple Street in Lowell.

 

Orland Hills Cop Gets 6 years for Fatal DUI Crash

An Orland Hills cop was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison for an aggravated DUI conviction, stemming from the death of a 20-year-old Homewood man in September 2010 on Interstate 80 near New Lenox. Will County Judge Edward Burmila sentenced Robert E. Caputo, 62, 8811 W. 167th Place, Orland Hills, to prison for a Class 2 felony that he pleaded guilty to on May 17. The penalty for the aggravated DUI conviction could have been as much as 14 years and as little as three years, according to a statement by Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow.

 

Hattiesburg police officer charged with DUI

PETAL, Miss. (AP) — A Hattiesburg police officer has been charged with driving under the influence following an accident that left a 3-year-old injured.

Petal Police Department Detective Mitch Nobles tells The Hattiesburg American (http://hatne.ws/10Kn2MH) officers received reports of an accident at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Officers charged 26-year-old Zachary Rooke, of Petal, with first-offense driving under the influence.

Nobles said Rooke was allegedly driving a utility task vehicle, or four-wheeled, side-by-side motorized buggy, at the time of the single-vehicle accident.

He said at least one other passenger was with Rooke — a 3-year-old child who was taken from the scene to receive medical treatment.

Nobles declined to release the current condition of the child.

It was unclear whether Rooke has an attorney.