Friday, May 16, 2008
News
Durand police officer charged with drunk driving
By DOMINIC ADAMS Argus-Press Staff Writer
FLUSHING - A Durand police officer charged with drunk driving is on disability leave.
Court records in Genesee County reveal Lex A. Crooks appeared Monday before 67th District Court Judge David Goggins for allegedly operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Court records also show the hearing came after his arraignment was deferred twice.
Durand Police Chief Mike Tanner said Crooks' disability started April 12. Tanner refused to comment further because it is a personnel matter.
Flushing Township Police Officer Bryan Bowman said he found Crooks' pickup truck in a ditch along M-13 at 2:15 a.m. April 12.
When Bowman arrived at the vehicle he found Crooks - who was off-duty - lying horizontal across both bucket seats, according to the police report.
Bowman said he then climbed into the bed of the truck and asked Crooks if he needed medical attention.
“He then mumbled a few (words), none of which I was able to understand,” Bowman wrote in his report. “I detected a strong scent of alcohol on his breath and person and observed that his injuries were serious.”
After Crooks was removed from his vehicle, emergency responders from Genesee County told Bowman the victim was an off-duty police officer and extremely intoxicated, according to police documents.
A witness told police Crooks was driving east on Juddville Road when he ran a stop sign. When the witness approached the intersection, he saw Crooks' vehicle with its lights on and horn sounding.
Court records show Crooks' blood alcohol content - taken at the hospital - was 0.16. The legal limit is 0.08.
Police also seized one Sig Sauer 239.40 caliber handgun with three full magazines, two magazines in a black leather pouch, 14 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition and a clip of .223-caliber ammunition, five rounds of 12-gauge slugs, 38 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition and three more bags and one box of .40-caliber ammunition.
Crooks is free on a $3,000 personal recognizance bond and will have a pretrial hearing in Flushing May 29. He also must submit to random drug and alcohol testing.
Crooks is one of six full-time police officers in Durand.
- Dominic Adams may be reached at 725-5136 extension 239 or by e-mail at dadamsarguspress@gmail.com.
Court records in Genesee County reveal Lex A. Crooks appeared Monday before 67th District Court Judge David Goggins for allegedly operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Court records also show the hearing came after his arraignment was deferred twice.
Durand Police Chief Mike Tanner said Crooks' disability started April 12. Tanner refused to comment further because it is a personnel matter.
Flushing Township Police Officer Bryan Bowman said he found Crooks' pickup truck in a ditch along M-13 at 2:15 a.m. April 12.
When Bowman arrived at the vehicle he found Crooks - who was off-duty - lying horizontal across both bucket seats, according to the police report.
Bowman said he then climbed into the bed of the truck and asked Crooks if he needed medical attention.
“He then mumbled a few (words), none of which I was able to understand,” Bowman wrote in his report. “I detected a strong scent of alcohol on his breath and person and observed that his injuries were serious.”
After Crooks was removed from his vehicle, emergency responders from Genesee County told Bowman the victim was an off-duty police officer and extremely intoxicated, according to police documents.
A witness told police Crooks was driving east on Juddville Road when he ran a stop sign. When the witness approached the intersection, he saw Crooks' vehicle with its lights on and horn sounding.
Court records show Crooks' blood alcohol content - taken at the hospital - was 0.16. The legal limit is 0.08.
Police also seized one Sig Sauer 239.40 caliber handgun with three full magazines, two magazines in a black leather pouch, 14 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition and a clip of .223-caliber ammunition, five rounds of 12-gauge slugs, 38 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition and three more bags and one box of .40-caliber ammunition.
Crooks is free on a $3,000 personal recognizance bond and will have a pretrial hearing in Flushing May 29. He also must submit to random drug and alcohol testing.
Crooks is one of six full-time police officers in Durand.
- Dominic Adams may be reached at 725-5136 extension 239 or by e-mail at dadamsarguspress@gmail.com.