A police officer from Southeaster Minnesota who was off-duty and in the Minneapolis area, was arrested on November 20 for suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated after a Minnesota State Trooper clocked him driving 96 mph.
The officer from Belle Plaine, is 32 years old and was stopped around 2:30 a.m. between Belle Plaine and Jordan.
Patrolman Lt. Eric Roeske says that his preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol content of .017 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit of .08 in Minnesota. It was then that the officer was arrested for third-degree dwi. The officer posted his bond and was then released.
The officer has been on indefinite leave, but it has not been specified whether this leave is paid or unpaid. The officer has 10 years with the Belle Plaine police department.
This month, there are extra patrols on the road for the holiday season. Roeske says that it is estimated that 1,300 people have been arrested in December for DWI so far.
This increased patrol is meant to curb drunk driving, as the current statistics are that 651 people have been killed in drunk driving crashes in the past 5 years. In 2011 alone, 111 of those individuals were killed. The overtime the patrol officers are working is part of the Minnesota state Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.
As a part of this campaign, tips have been offered by the state patrol, such as giving designated drivers gift cards for helping, sober drivers bucking up to protect themselves from the drunk drivers on the road, and for drivers to report any suspicious driving by simply pulling over and calling 911 from their cell phone. If you must call in a drunk driver, it is best to define the behavior observed, give the license plate number, the car make and model if possible, and the license plate number.
If you or a loved one have been arrested for any Minnesota DWI offense, feel free to contact Minneapolis DWI Lawyer, F. T. Sessoms, to obtain a complete review of your case.