NEW ROADS, LA (WAFB) –
Three deputies have been
suspended without pay in connection with a crash involving an off-duty police
captain: Capt. Adrian Slaughter, Lt. Pat Bizette & Sgt. Dylan Bergeron.
The 9News I-team has learned a
state police trooper was also at the crash site involving New Roads Police
Capt. Mark Munson, an 18-year veteran of the force.
Investigators say after Capt.
Munson crashed his personal truck, a deputy wrote in his report, "I
noticed a 200 ml bottle of Seagram's Gin in the center console. The bottle was about 3/4 the way empty. After talking to Capt. Munson, I could smell
a slight odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath."
So why then was the captain not
tested for possible drunk driving?
The crash happened on North
Carolina Avenue in New Roads Friday night.
Because it involved a New Roads police officer, an outside agency was
called to investigate, the Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office. Tuesday, the I-team learned, a state trooper
also responded to the scene.
Even though the responding
sheriff's deputy suspected alcohol could be a factor, Capt. Munson was never
given a breathalyzer. The Pointe Coupee
deputy said he did not perform a breathalyzer or field sobriety test because he
is not certified to do so.
The deputy wrote "Because
I am not DWI certified or field sobriety certified and no one on my shift is
certified in either category I was unable to perform an alcohol test on Capt.
Munson."
"Our job primarily is
criminal. We do some traffic but in
recent years, the Carter Academy, where our deputies go to school and go to,
they do not certify them in intoxilyzers," responded Pointe Coupee Sheriff
Bud Torres. "We usually have a
couple of guys on the shift that are certified in this and we also have the
state police right there so it's never been an issue in the past that if we
needed a test run to have one done."
"So why was someone not
called in this case?" asked WAFB's Kiran Chawla.
"I don't know," said
Torres.
Tuesday, State Police confirmed
to the I-team, a state trooper, who is certified in breathalyzers and field
sobriety tests, did respond to the crash, but sources tell the I-team, a
higher-up at the sheriff's office told the responding deputy to waive off the
state trooper and that the sheriff's office would handle the scene. So the trooper left and went back to
patrolling.
So why was the captain not
given a test? A call into Sheriff Torres Tuesday was not returned, but he did
respond Monday.
"We are not going to give
people preferential treatment. We are going to do our job, and when someone
crosses the line to the point where it's just out of control behavior, we have
to do our job," said Torres.
"There are people out
there saying it's the buddy system, that's why he walked away without any
charges. Your response to that?"
asked Chawla.
"No, we do not operate on
a buddy system," said New Roads Police Chief Kevin McDonald.
Because of the questions raised
in this case, the Louisiana State Police is investigating the matter. In the meantime, Capt. Munson remains on
leave.
The Pointe Coupee Sheriff's
Office is investigating why a high-ranking member of the New Roads Police
Department was not given a breathalyzer exam following a vehicle crash he was
allegedly involved inMore >>
An internal investigation is
underway into a case involving a high-ranking member of the New Roads Police
Department.More >>
Officials announced the three
deputies with the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office are suspended for
multiple days, but an exact number of days was not given.
Capt. Mark Munson of the New
Roads Police Department has been charged with failure to maintain control and
open container. He is suspended indefinitely without pay. It comes after an 9News investigation into
Munson's wreck two weekends ago in New Roads on North Carolina Ave where
witnesses said Munson had been drinking and driving, yet no breathalyzer was
given and Munson faced no charges.
Even though the wreck was
within New Roads city limits, the Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office was called in
to assist because it involved a New Roads officer. But the responding deputy, Sgt. Dylan
Bergeron, said in a police report that he was not certified in giving
breathalyzers or field sobriety tests.
Sources told the Iteam a State Police trooper was also called in by the
New Roads Police Dept but Capt. Adrian Slaughter with PCPSO told Sgt. Bergeron
to waive off the state trooper and that PCPSO would handle the case.
Pointe Coupee Sheriff Bud Torres
said the reason all three were suspended is because all were at one point or
another involved in the decision-making process. "As police officers, we have a burden or
an expectation of doing the right thing and when we're involved in something
that we shouldn't be involved in, that we get treated the same as everybody
else," said Torres.
Even though sources tell the
Iteam Sgt. Bergeron was told by Capt. Slaughter what to do, Torres said he too
was suspended because, "All police officers have an oath of office and
they have to do their duty whenever a crime is committed to do the best they
can to do their job and because this individual was a supervisor, he's held to
a higher standard than a regular deputy."
Munson was not given a
breathalyzer even though Sgt. Bergeron wrote in his report, "I noticed a
200 ml bottle of Seagram's Gin in the center console. The bottle was about 3/4 the way empty. After talking to Capt. Munson, I could smell
a slight odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath."
New Roads Mayor Robert Myer
held a news conference shortly after saying this would not be tolerated.