Nobody is above the law and that includes police officers.
An on-duty police officer in Tulare California was recently arrested for allegedly driving drunk.
The on-duty Tulare police officer was arrested after residents of Tulare spotted a patrol car driving recklessly.
The residents then called 911 to report a suspected drunk driver and come to find out the driver of the car was Tulare police officer Frank Garcia.
Police immediately noticed officer Garcia was drunk and tested his blood-alcohol content which ended up being twice the legal limit at 0.15%.
Check out the entire ordeal here:
Uniformed police officer arrested in Florida, accused of DUI, five times the legal limit on 4th of July. pic.twitter.com/QbnUS0hgD6
— Joshua Rodriguez (@Joshuajered) July 9, 2022
Visalia Times Delta dropped more details:
An on-duty Tulare police officer is accused of drunken driving and has been charged with the crime.
In the criminal complaint filed Wednesday, Officer Frank Garcia’s blood alcohol content was allegedly 0.15% — nearly twice the legal limit — at the time of his June arrest.
“The Tulare Police Department wishes to clearly indicate its commitment to full disclosure and transparency with regard to reports of potential officer misconduct,” Tulare Police Chief Fred Ynclan said. “All individuals shall be held accountable for their actions.”
Here is what Tulare police say led to the officer’s arrest:
Around 2:20 p.m. on June 23, Tulare dispatchers received a call regarding an officer who was seen sleeping in his marked patrol vehicle. Garcia, 34, was identified by his unit number, Sgt. Edward Hinojosa said.
Garcia has been with the department for more than two years.
A department supervisor evaluated Garcia, who “demonstrated signs of being under the influence” of alcohol, Hinojosa said.
To avoid bias, Tulare police reached out to California Highway Patrol to conduct a DUI investigation. CHP officers confirmed that Garcia was under the influence and issued the officer a citation to appear in court.
The officer was identified as Frank Garcia, who has been employed with this department for two and half years. https://t.co/LDcM8eQPmJ
— FOX26 News (@KMPHFOX26) July 8, 2022
ABC 30 got the scoop too:
A Tulare Police Department officer has been arrested and accused of driving drunk while on duty.
On June 23rd, Officer Frank Garcia was about 9 hours into his shift when he was arrested and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
Tulare police chief Fred Ynclan says the department is shocked by what officer Frank Garcia did and it wants to be transparent with the community about the allegations against him.
“I fully believe officers need to be held to a high standard, the highest in my opinion, but also please know we are human and we have everyday problems like everyone else. We also have a higher sense of duty and accountability,” he said.
Chief Ynclan says it all started when someone walked into the headquarters, saying they saw an officer asleep in his police cruiser, who wouldn’t wake up when they attempted to get his attention.
Ynclan says once Garcia arrived back at headquarters, he smelled of alcohol, so the department took action.
They called in the California Highway Patrol, which took over and arrested Garcia.
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