Former Riverside police chief charged with drunk driving

[MrScorpio]

March 22, 2010 | 12:05 pm

Former Riverside Police Chief Russ Leach has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs after crashing his city-owned vehicle last month, officials said Monday.

The California Highway Patrol, which investigated the incident, said Leach had four drinks at his home on Super Bowl Sunday before going to a strip club in Colton where he had at least seven more. He was taking prescription pain medication at the same time.

He later crashed his car into a "low-profile object," causing extensive damage to the car, but he kept on driving for another mile or so, officials said. Riverside police officers who responded to the accident said Leach had been drinking but they did not file any charges against him.

(Updated at 12:35 p.m.: A previous version of this post said Leach had crashed into a fire hydrant and light pole, but police are now saying they do not know what he hit.)

An internal investigation is underway to determine if the officers behaved properly or if Leach got special treatment because he was the chief. Leach, 62, resigned a few days after the accident. He said he was taking pain medication but never admitted to drinking.

The CHP also said they had a photo from a red-light enforcement camera showing Leach going through the light at about 2:24 a.m., roughly a half-hour before the crash. Leach is to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. in Riverside on Thursday.

-- David Kelly in Riverside

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/former-riverside-police-chief-charged-with-drunk-driving.html

[The Straight Story]

1. Back when Mayor Moody did similar here in Cols, Ohio he said "I was out inspecting the city"

:rofl: ahhh the good ole days, miss mayor moody :)

[virgogal]

2. I hope he gets some help----he needs it.

[MrScorpio]

3. I hope that that lady who lost her child when the police raided her house gets some help too

She definitely needs it.

[virgogal]

4. She certainly does.

[virgogal]

5. Double post. Sorry.

[arbusto_baboso]

6. Cops do this shit all the time.

I worked as a civilian employee in a law enforcement agency for a short time. You wouldn't believe the number of uniformed employees we lost to termination due to DUIs. It's like the fuckers think they're above the law. :sarcasm: