Deputy accused of driving drunk sat in truck at gas station pump for hour, NC cops say
An off-duty deputy was fired after he was accused of driving impaired in North Carolina, authorities said.
The deputy’s termination came days after he was awarded Employee of the Month by the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.
Police received a call at 3:27 a.m. on April 9 about a suspicious truck at Murphy’s Express Convenience Store on Hickory Boulevard in Granite Falls, according to a news release from the Granite Falls Police Department.
The 2013 GMC truck had been idling at the gas pumps for at least an hour and the caller believed the driver inside may be unconscious, the release said.
When officers arrived, they found the 30-year-old deputy inside.
“During (the officer’s) interaction with (the deputy), the officer formed the opinion that (the deputy) was impaired and placed him under arrest,” the release said.
The deputy agreed to take a breathalyzer test and his blood alcohol content was .15, almost twice the legal limit, according to the police.
On April 7, two days before the deputy’s arrest, he was named Employee of the Month, according to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy had been honored for working with another deputy on March 1 to stop a reckless driver and render him medical aid after he was caught, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Please join us in commending these deputies for their quick response and potentially life-saving actions during this incident,” the sheriff’s office said on April 7.
The deputy was fired on April 9, following his arrest, the Hickory Daily Record reported. It is at least the third time within the last year that a deputy from the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office has been terminated due to impaired driving charges, according to the outlet.
The deputy appeared before the Caldwell County Magistrate, who found probable cause to charge him with driving while impaired, according to the police. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 16.
This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Deputy accused of driving drunk sat in truck at gas station pump for hour, NC cops say."
