An officer of the sheriff’s office in Bergen County is facing serious charges after he was pulled over for allegedly driving while intoxicated, according to police sources. The officer was set to appear in a Secaucus, New Jersey, court room on July 9 to face the drunk driving charges of which he is accused. If he is found guilty, he could lose his position with the sheriff’s department permanently and face potential jail time.
According to the account, the 24-year-old officer was allegedly drunk on June 20 when he became involved in an altercation with another individual. That individual alleges the officer forcefully restrained him and requested that his father place his hands on the hood of his car. The officer was apparently off-duty when this occurred around 11:35 p.m.
Police arrived on the scene and arrested the officer, though the alleged encounter had apparently finished before they arrived. The man stands accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, reckless driving, violating open container laws and refusing to submit to a breath test. He has been placed on administrative reassignment pending an investigation into the alleged incidents that led to his arrest.
Drunk driving, while just one of the charges filed against the officer, is an extremely serious charge that could have long-lasting repercussions on the man’s career. Law enforcement officers must be carefully vetted given the authority granted to them by their positions, and a misstep of this severity could see that career ended prematurely. This is partly why it is so important for the man to be represented in a New Jersey court by a qualified defense attorney who will work to argue against these charges with an eye towards exoneration.