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NORTH WEBSTER - Disciplinary action is expected against a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department deputy who was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with drunken driving.
Douglas Brumfield Jr., 31, of Leesburg, was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 5 a.m. Sunday after a traffic stop was made by North Webster Police Department Deputy Marshal Tony Clark.
Because Brumfield is a police officer, Clark summoned his superior to the scene. Town marshal Greg Church said this morning that Brumfield was pulled over as a suspected drunken driver after allegedly "weaving and running off the roadway." Brumfield reportedly had a blood-alcohol level of .17 percent. A person with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or greater is considered intoxicated in Indiana.
"This is a very difficult situation for everyone," Church said.
The fact that Brumfield is a police officer did not affect the decision to arrest him, Church said. "The law's the same for everybody," he said. "In today's society, I think everybody knows that you don't have a choice. You can't compromise your principles ... regardless of who it is."
It was not known where Brumfield was traveling to or from. He was cooperative throughout the investigation and the traffic stop was videotaped by the officer's in-car camera.
Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said he feels terrible about Brumfield's arrest. "He's a good officer and a good person," Rovenstine said of Brumfield. "He made a mistake."
Rovenstine said there have been some state troopers in the news in recent months for similar actions, but stressed that Brumfield was off-duty and was not driving his police car when the incident occurred. He said he doesn't know whether the arrest will affect Brumfield's employment with the department, but he anticipates disciplinary action over termination. The matter may be turned over to the KCSD Merit Board, which reviews disciplinary actions and the hiring of merit officers and oversees the pension fund. The sheriff can suspend an officer for up to 15 days at his discretion. Any harsher discipline or termination must go before the merit board, which comprises citizen appointments.
Rovenstine said he is in the process of polling other sheriff's departments to determine what course of action he will take to be in line with other situations such as this that may have occurred within other departments.
Brumfield was released from custody after posting a $550 bond.
