A Colorado Springs police officer was recently arrested for multiple charges stemming from an incident involving a car crash last week. The Colorado Springs officer was allegedly drunk driving when he was involved in the crash. The officer has also been charged with tampering with evidence after the blood sample for his blood alcohol test went missing.
According to the report, the officer was involved in a car accident near I-24 last Sunday morning. The report does state that the officer was not on duty, and he was driving his personal vehicle, not his police cruiser. When the other CSPD officer arrived, that officer suspected the man of being intoxicated, so a blood sample was taken to be used for a blood alcohol test.
The other officer cited the man for DUI and took him home; however, when the other officer got back into his cruiser, the results of the blood alcohol test were nowhere to be found. Police immediately suspected that the officer stole his blood sample, even though there are other ways that the sample could have been lost. Additionally, the report does not state whether CSPD has solid evidence that the officer actually did steal his blood sample.
The officer has been with the CSPD for nearly 24 years, and he has received the Distinguished Service award. Based on the lack of indication within the report that CSPD has evidence supporting the claim that the officer was drunk driving and tampering with evidence, it could be hard for Colorado Springs police to convict him. If enough evidence to prove the officer’s charges beyond a reasonable doubt is not found, then the charges against him could be dropped.
Source: kktv.com, Police Officer Charged with Tampering With Evidence, DUI, Kristin Haubrich, Nov. 12, 2013
