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Ex-Detroit Cop Faces Drunk Driving Charges

DETROIT (WWJ) - A now former Detroit Police officer who crashed his patrol car this summer after drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana faced a judge Friday.

Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy has charged ex-cop Lemuel Wilson in connection with a July 7 crash on eastbound I-96 and Martin Luther King Boulevard  that occurred around 4:30 in the morning.

Investigators say Wilson was supposed to be on patrol on the city's east side at the time of the crash. Police said the former sergeant lost control of his car and hit the median on I-96, causing the car to burst into flames. Wilson was pulled from the car by a Good Samaritan before it caught fire and was not seriously injured.

Wilson, a 17-year veteran of the Detroit force, resigned shortly after the incident.

Wilson has been charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated - alcohol, operating a vehicle while intoxicated - controlled substance, and use of a controlled substance - marijuana.

Wilson was arraigned Friday morning in 36th District Court.  Free on $3,000 personal bond, he is due back in court on January 12, 2011 at 9 a.m..

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