A rookie police officer, arrested on suspicion of aggravated DUI and child endangerment, has claimed that he was only impaired due to a “nervous system depressant”, as reported by Arizona Central.
Officer M.P. was dropping off his child to school at Paradise Education Centers, in Paradise, Arizona, when he collided with another vehicle. The accident, per police, did not occur on school property.
M.P. was booked into Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail and is on administrative leave while an internal investigation is completed
Whether M.P.’s vehicle struck a parked or moving vehicle is unclear, but, police stated that he was traveling at a low speed when the accident occurred.
After hitting the other vehicle, M.P.’s car then hit a light pole and came to a stop. Authorities have stated that no one was injured in the accident.
M.P., 39, was a franchise manager for a McDonald’s restaurant before recently changing careers to become a police officer. He was hired, along with two other rookie officers, in August of 2010.
Sgt. M.O., the police spokesman, said that a breath test proved that M.P. did not have any alcohol in his system. A drug-recognition expert also evaluated M.P. and found that some other type of depressant was present in his system.
The depressant could have been a simple cold medicine or any other type of medicine that has depressive qualities.
The Commander that oversees all of the patrol, D. S., stated that because M.P. was dropping off his child at school while visibly impaired, that he was also booked on the suspicion of child endangerment.
Last August in the publication, Republic, it was reported that three rookies were hired after thorough background screenings and polygraph tests. Part of the recruitment and hiring process includes the arduous task of calling friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers to query them on an applicant’s personality and background.
Sgt. M.S., who oversees the process, said that all thee of the rookies tested well and impressed the police supervisors.
Lt. P.R. said that the hiring was done to maintain a balance of both veterans and newcomers in the department. Of this policy Sgt. M.S. said, “New guys coming in, they're absolutely new, so everything they learn is going to be the (Department’s) way, how we do business.
With laterals, they don't have to go to the academy. We save time, money and training on that aspect and they're bringing in experience, But then, there's the retraining aspect.”
The Sergeant also said that veteran officers, though they may bring in valuable experience, take some time to become familiar with a new department’s policies.
M.P. is from Missouri and currently lives in Waddell. He earned a business degree from Central Missouri State University, worked with his father for more than 17 years in a McDonald’s franchise and his current career goal is to become a police detective.
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