A North Dakota police officer was recently placed on desk duty for a recent incident that led to his arrest. According to authorities, he was charged with drunk driving, although he was apparently never booked into jail for the charge. He also apparently suffered some type of medical issue prior to his arrest.
Police were responding to a report of an individual who was allegedly driving recklessly when they discovered a car in a snowbank. It is unclear how the vehicle ended up in the snowbank. However, the responding officers determined that the driver was a fellow police officer. Protocol dictates that an outside agency has to investigate issues that involve department staff, so the officers called in the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
It is unclear how the officers from the Highway Patrol determined that the driver was intoxicated. However, the driver had apparently suffered some type of medical emergency — which could possibly be related to his car’s position in the snowbank — and had to be transported to an area hospital for treatment. He was then arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
The investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol is still ongoing and details should become more clear as time goes on. However, the officer accused of drunk driving does not have to wait until the investigation is over to begin working on his criminal defense. By preparing a defense in as timely a manner as possible, a defendant might have a better understanding of how to proceed in order to obtain the best possible outcome for his or her unique situation. For some, this could look like fighting the charges to their fullest extent, while others find better results from negotiating plea deals with the prosecution.
