Trooper in unmarked car charged with DUI

eXistenZ · 06-08-2011, 18:46

Not here to bash cops but seriously, WHAT THE ****?!?!?!?!

Quote:

An Alaska state trooper has been charged with drunken driving nearly two months after police say he drove a state-owned SUV into two vehicles in Eagle River, court records show.

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The veteran trooper investigator, Eric Burroughs, had a blood alcohol level more than five times the legal limit to drive, even hours after the collisions, according to charges filed in court this month.
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A trooper for 13 years, Burroughs is now charged with drunken driving and failing to report a collision, both misdemeanors. He has not worked since the incident and remains on paid administrative leave, collecting $3,649.50 in pay every two weeks, troopers said.

http://www.adn.com/2011/06/07/190433...ui-in-off.html

You're telling me that MY ****ING tax dollars are paying this ****head over $7,000 A MONTH for getting massively drunk and wrecking his unmarked car!??!?!?!?!

Someone want to "man up" and tell me how that is even REMOTELY okay????????

***Dragoon44*** · 06-08-2011, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

Not here to bash cops but seriously, WHAT THE ****?!?!?!?!

http://www.adn.com/2011/06/07/190433...ui-in-off.html

You're telling me that MY ****ING tax dollars are paying this ****head over $7,000 A MONTH for getting massively drunk and wrecking his unmarked car!??!?!?!?!

Someone want to "man up" and tell me how that is even REMOTELY okay????????

Sure, it's that pesky "Due process" clause in the BOR, since the govt is his employer it has to give him due process before it can take any disciplinary action whether that is unpaid leave or termination. Whatever their plans are ( and termination would certainly be appropriate) they aren't likely to do anything until the criminal charges are settled.

4949shooter · 06-08-2011, 18:59

Here he would have been suspended without pay.

eXistenZ · 06-08-2011, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragoon44

Sure, it's that pesky "Due process" clause in the BOR, since the govt is his employer it has to give him due process before it can take any disciplinary action whether that is unpaid leave or termination.

What due process? If I did this I'd be in cuffs and fired from several of the jobs I've had in the past by the next business day. This is ridiculous. The state has paid him nearly $15,000 in two months for him to do nothing. It takes two months to figure out that the drunk trooper with the ****ed up SUV missing the license plate is responsible???

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Quote:

Police spotted tire marks that indicated Burroughs hit the accelerator after colliding with the Chevy, the charges say.

While police found a license plate from the Explorer at the site of the accident...he Explorer's front license plate was missing, the charges say.

Patchman · 06-08-2011, 19:06

Plenty of employees in private industry who have company cars get into DWIs. Maybe you're not a customer or a shareholder, but somebody is, and they end up paying for the employee's mistake.

But if it makes you feel better, take consolation in knowing that in the case of private industry, the DWI employee MAY get fired, and if he/she does get fired, can probably find another job in the same field fairly quickly (baring economic conditions, of course).

For this trooper, once he's fired, he'll never get another LE job again, anywhere. So you'll eventually get your pound of flesh.

redneck1861 · 06-08-2011, 19:08

Is the legal limit for DUI .08? If so it means the trooper had a BAC of .40, I have never seen someone blow a .40, wouldnt that cause alcohol poisioning?

eXistenZ · 06-08-2011, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patchman

Plenty of employees in private industry who have company cars get into DWIs. Maybe you're not a customer or a shareholder, but somebody is, and they end up paying for the employee's mistake.

But if it makes you feel better, take consolation in knowing that in the case of private industry, the DWI employee MAY get fired, and if he/she does get fired, can probably find another job in the same field fairly quickly (baring economic conditions, of course).

For this trooper, once he's fired, he'll never get another LE job again, anywhere. So you'll eventually get your pound of flesh.

I get what you're saying but my beef isn't with seeing the trooper get in trouble, though I do think 2 months is excessive, it's with the fact that for the last 2 months he's been paid. If he was privately employed I wouldn't care AS much since it isn't tax dollars paying his salary.

ETA: I don't think someone being able to get a job in the same field is a relevant argument in this case. If I have a job where I drive a company car and am fired for crashing said company car while drunk then I doubt I'll get hired and given another company car at a new job.

DaBigBR · 06-08-2011, 19:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by redneck1861

Is the legal limit for DUI .08? If so it means the trooper had a BAC of .40, I have never seen someone blow a .40, wouldnt that cause alcohol poisioning?

Not necessarily. There are no "magic numbers". Some folks are too drunk to drive at under .080, and some folks would be in the hospital at less than a .200. My personal best driver was a .369 and he was relatively coherent...and a very experienced drunk. I have also hooked folks that at a .090 or .100 were ridiculously impaired.

The record in our state is .569 and there have been a couple of TSG articles where blood came back in excess of .600 or .700 on a driver. Hell, the homeless around here start to get the shakes if they get much below a .200.

***Dragoon44*** · 06-08-2011, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4949shooter

Here he would have been suspended without pay.

How does your dept. get around the officers due process rights before taking action like that?

I am assuming they do not wait for the outcome of the criminal charges and instead proceed with the dept. internal investigations finding and then proceed from there?

Malstorme · 06-08-2011, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

Not here to bash cops but...

Feel free to post up your occupation and I'm sure we can find a few examples of F-sticks similarly employed who did stupid stuff. What part of "cops are people too" do you not get. It appears he screwed up and if so he'll pay dearly for it.

Everyone likes to assume "innocent until proven guilty" until cops are involved. Try not to forget that cops enjoy the same civil rights as everyone else. We won't be too sad if you GTFO and I hope the door doesn't hit you in the rear.

Mals

***Cochese*** · 06-08-2011, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

...Not here to bash cops...

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

You're telling me that MY ****ING tax dollars are paying this ****head over $7,000 A MONTH for getting massively drunk and wrecking his unmarked car!??!?!?!?!

Someone want to "man up" and tell me how that is even REMOTELY okay????????

The only person here that needs to man up is the one that can't reason himself into understanding administrative leave.

A few people have tried to explain it already. Hopefully they got through.

***Dragoon44*** · 06-08-2011, 20:24

Quote:

What due process?

The "due process" in the fifth amendment, specifically the part that says no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without first being given due process. The effective word here is "property" if the officer is not on probation then the courts say he has a property interest in his job. So action like termination or even unpaid suspension cannot be put on him without him first being given due process. That process can be the result of the depts. internal investigation and findings, after which they can act against him. But most depts will withhold their action if it also includes criminal charges until the criminal charges are done with.

Quote:

If I did this I'd be in cuffs and fired from several of the jobs I've had in the past by the next business day.

A private employer does not have to deal with any Due process in dealing with you. The Govt. does.

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It takes two months to figure out that the drunk trooper with the ****ed up SUV missing the license plate is responsible???

As I said above most depts are going to await the outcome of the criminal charges which if he is found guilty strengthens their hand in dealing with the officer.

Look at it this way, if they fail to provide him with due process then he gets to sue and win a nice big payday. Do you think he should get a nice big payday because the dept. didn't afford him his due process rights or would you rather see him fired with no recourse?

boomhower · 06-08-2011, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragoon44

How does your dept. get around the officers due process rights before taking action like that?

I am assuming they do not wait for the outcome of the criminal charges and instead proceed with the dept. internal investigations finding and then proceed from there?

I'm curios as well. My current employer is getting sued because they fired a guy, the charges never got filed, and the statute of limitations ran out. Basically he was fired and never got charged with a darn thing. If he was put on leave it wouldn't have gotten put on the back burner and be in the mess they are in now.

**Hack** · 06-08-2011, 21:17

Due process is what it is. It takes time when someone who works for the government gets into trouble. I have seen even administrative process running for as long as two years, and then because the administrative charges are incorrectly applied or what have you the union local will usually get that employee back pay. Even with criminal charges in working for the government due process will be involved, whether the employee is paid while suspended or not.

collim1 · 06-08-2011, 21:52

My personal best was a walking talking .31BAC.

To be honest, his FST's were not terrible, but based on experience and HGN I knew he was well above a .20BAC.

Our jail's policy requires anyone over a .30BAC be checked in at the ER so I was pissed when I got the breath tests results.

Glocker1984 · 06-08-2011, 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cochese

The only person here that needs to man up is the one that can't reason himself into understanding administrative leave.

A few people have tried to explain it already. Hopefully they got through.

For the Win.........

Cav · 06-09-2011, 00:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

I get what you're saying but my beef isn't with seeing the trooper get in trouble, though I do think 2 months is excessive, it's with the fact that for the last 2 months he's been paid. If he was privately employed I wouldn't care AS much since it isn't tax dollars paying his salary.

ETA: I don't think someone being able to get a job in the same field is a relevant argument in this case. If I have a job where I drive a company car and am fired for crashing said company car while drunk then I doubt I'll get hired and given another company car at a new job.

With private employers, some times they might never know you got a DWI.

You may think 2 months pay is a lot. Lets say they fire the guy. Goes to court and it turns out that an alcohol pad was used and the reading was bad. Case gets tossed out. Trooper who has 13 years says he was wrongfully fired. He does not want his job back, but he does want some type of compensation as he wanted to do 30 years at the job. But he will settle for $400,000 as he thinks he would have made at least that if he retired at 30 and lived a few more years. Now you the tax payer can cover his $400,000 pay out.

Be happy if it takes 6 months to fire him.

wprebeck · 06-09-2011, 12:28

What makes you think the cop doesn't pay taxes, too?

Kadetklapp · 06-09-2011, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

Not here to bash cops but seriously, WHAT THE ****?!?!?!?!

Someone want to "man up" and tell me how that is even REMOTELY okay????????

I understand your frustration, but neither me nor anyone else here is required to "man up" for anything we didn't do wrong. Sounds like the bonehead will reap a hefty conviction and lose his career. Be thankful they didn't just cut him loose and entitle him to a huge settlement. Even if he was convicted, showing him the door prior to a conviction violates his rights. IMPD is about to find that out with Bisard.

eXistenZ · 06-09-2011, 14:34

Gotta love it... Well hey, at least he made it home safe right?

And for the record I wasn't here to bash the trooper, troopers have been the only LE I'm dealt with that weren't total dicks and were actually nice and considerate. Wish I could say the same for on here.

Panzergrenadier1979 · 06-09-2011, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by wprebeck

What makes you think the cop doesn't pay taxes, too?

This is sig line material for sure....

Do you mind?

Kadetklapp · 06-09-2011, 14:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

Gotta love it... Well hey, at least he made it home safe right?

And for the record I wasn't here to bash the trooper, troopers have been the only LE I'm dealt with that weren't total dicks and were actually nice and considerate. Wish I could say the same for on here.

Seriously? You "call out" LEOs who have NOTHING to do with this incident and then cry when you get your **** locked in the door? Christ....

eXistenZ · 06-09-2011, 14:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kadetklapp

Seriously? You "call out" LEOs who have NOTHING to do with this incident and then cry when you get your **** locked in the door? Christ....

I was calling out the BS system that allows this guy to **** up and still collect paychecks.

Kadetklapp · 06-09-2011, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXistenZ

I was calling out the BS system that allows this guy to **** up and still collect paychecks.

What do you want us to do? Asking us to "nut up" and fix it for you isn't going to happen. Write a letter to Sarah Palin and have her write a book about it or something...

***Morris*** · 06-09-2011, 14:43

Man! I needed a good

! This thread provided it. Klapp owes me a new keyboard.