Local residents concerned after officer is arrested on possible drunk driving incident
SAINT JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. --- We’ve all been taught about the dangers of drinking and driving, and what can happen when an intoxicated person gets behind the wheel.
“He just didn’t do what he preaches to other people,” says Joey Reaves, a local resident. “I just wish he would have called somebody, or got an Uber, he shouldn’t have been driving a vehicle.”
Typically, the biggest advocates against drinking and driving are law enforcement. However, late Saturday night an off-duty officer with the Saint Joseph County Police Department was arrested by Indiana State Police for allegedly operating while intoxicated after he hit a mailbox in a marked vehicle traveling on Hickory Road. After roughly six hours in jail, he was released.
“It’s a sad day for the Saint Joe County Police Department, just because they have to deal with this tarnish on their reputation,” Reaves says.
Some local residents say Hoffman should be fired from the department, and face the consequences associated with O.W.I.’s if it’s found he was drunk. Others say officers are humans too, and humans make mistakes.
“I mean hopefully this is his wake-up call,” says Reaves. “Obviously they’ve been really good, it’s this one time in how long? Somebody makes a mistake, people make mistakes. When you put the human factor in it, people make mistakes.”
Reaves adds that Hoffman should take an impact class to learn how the loved ones of victims killed by drunk driving are affected by their actions. He says this because he has personal experience.
“The driver was in his Thunderbird, he got up to 100 miles an hour and rear-ended him and four other cars and he shot Brian across the road,” Reaves says, choking up. “Yeah, it was a bad day.”
Reaves strongly advocates against drunk driving through Brian’s Legacy, which helps people to make the right decision before getting behind the wheel after drinking.
“Through Brian’s legacy, we try to push it out there that you can find different ways,” Reaves explains. “Like, you can Uber, or you can find other ways to get other places. You don’t have to drink and drive.”
Hoffman has been placed on administrative suspension and an internal investigation into the accident is being done now.