Berwyn police officer accused in DUI crash, North Riverside officials say
K9 ran off after crash, later found safe
BERWYN, Ill. (WLS) -- A Berwyn police officer is accused of drinking and driving and crashing his police vehicle.
That officer has been relieved of his police powers and is now under investigation, and his K-9 ran off after the crash.
It happened last month in North Riverside.
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A police report says the officer's blood alcohol level was well above the legal limit. The aftermath of the single- vehicle crash was captured on police body-camera video.
It was after 2 a.m. on December 29 when North Riverside officers responded to a Berwyn police vehicle that crashed into a utility pole at Des Plaines Avenue and Country Club Lane.
Minutes earlier, a surveillance camera captured the crash, with the impact causing the vehicle's airbag to go off.
Behind the wheel was a Berwyn officer. K-9 Officer Romeo, who was in the vehicle, ran from the crash.
The Berwyn cop could heard on video calling for the dog in vain.
The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment, and North Riverside Police arrested and cited him for DUI. ABC7 has blurred his face in the video because he hasn't been formally charged.
A police report says his blood alcohol level was 0.12, well above the 0.08 limit.
In a statement, Berwyn Police said, "The accused officer has been relieved of police powers... and is the subject of an ongoing internal affairs investigation... The men and women of the Berwyn Police Department are committed to serving with integrity, accountability, and transparency..."
It's unclear if the Berwyn officer was on duty, but he was seen in an ambulance wearing a Chicago Bears jersey.
Officers removed a gun from the center console of his police vehicle.
After the crash, North Riverside officers searched for K-9 Romeo in the snow for several minutes but couldn't find him. Police say he was later found and is doing well and has been at several recent community events.
The accused officer did not respond to ABC7's request for comment. He's scheduled to appear in court for that DUI arrest later this month.
