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Police: Off-Duty Cop Caught Driving Drunk The Wrong Way On Woodward

FERNDALE (WWJ) - Both the Ferndale and Roseville Police Departments have launched internal investigations after an off-duty officer was allegedly caught driving drunk.

The unnamed lieutenant from Roseville is facing disciplinary action in connection with the incident, at around 12:30 a.m. on November 9. According to police, the lieutenant was off the job when he and a passenger were pulled over for driving the wrong way on Woodward Ave. Police suspected the driver was intoxicated, but he was not given a breathalyzer.

The off-duty lieutenant was not arrested, according to Ferndale Police Chief Timothy Collins, and instead was given a ride home.

"On the surface, this appears to be an example of poor decision-making by one of our lieutenants," Collins said, in a media release. "As a police department, we take cases of operating and driving under the influence incredibly seriously. It's a critical threat to public health and safety, and we as a department work regularly to educate the community to reduce instances of intoxicated driving."

Collins said if the lieutenant's actions are found to be in violation of policy and procedure once the investigation is complete, he will face appropriate disciplinary measures. He expects the investigation to be complete within the next week.

"Our jobs are complex and we trust our people to use sound judgment," Collins added. "When somebody makes a call that is unsafe or not indicative of the department's values and operations, we take that seriously and we act accordingly."

A warrant request has been made against the Roseville lieutenant for Operating Under the Influence. His name is being withheld pending formal charges.

Meanwhile, Collion said the department is doing everything in its power to ensure that an error like this isn't made again. Within the next month, the entire department will go through an educational program about intoxicated driving.

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