A police officer in Chatfield, Minnesota, has been sacked days after he was allegedly involved in a DUI crash. At the time, reportedly, he was in uniform and armed, and now he is facing multiple charges.
As reported by WTOC, citing Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges, 61-year-old Kenneth Gallion had just finished his shift at around 11 p.m. He had been at the Minnesota State Fair, a place where he had been working as a police officer for 21 years.
About an hour later, a witness allegedly saw Gallion’s car crash after driving at about 70 mph. As per KSTP, it occurred in the 9400 block of Lyndale Avenue.
Shortly after, a Bloomington Police Department (BPD) officer responded to the scene. What he encountered would change Gallion’s life forever, and most likely end his decades-long career in law enforcement for good.
Footage Shared, Revelations
Footage of the arrest was shared online by WRAL. The responding BPD officer is seen escorting Gallion toward his patrol car. The 61-year-old man, armed at the time, was seen struggling to walk, all in police uniform, police said.
Furthermore, a criminal complaint obtained by KSTP shared that the officer could smell an alcohol odor coming from Gallion’s mouth. Additionally, the document detailed that he was slurring his words.
The veteran police officer, at the time, explained that he believed that he was in Rochester, police said. According to Chief Hodges, “that is the complete wrong way to go.”
A Decades-Long Career, Ended
Court documents alleged that Gallion ended up failing multiple field sobriety tests. Then, an initialy breathalyzer test showed a breath alcohol content of 2.73, with a second one at the BDP shwoing .28, authorities detailed. That is more than three times the state’s legal limit.
Shortly after the Chatfield Police Department was made aware of Gallion’s arrest, an emergency meeting was held. Kenneth Gallion was quickly terminated as a part-time officer after six years in service.
Furthermore, the Minnesota State Fair shared a statement addressing the incident. They announced that they had, too, cut ties with the 61-year-old Minnesota man.
Gallion is charged with two counts of driving while impaired and carrying a pistol while under the influence of a controlled substance.
Police Chiefs React
Chief Hodges was shocked after learning the details surrounding Gallion’s arrest. As per WTOC, he believed he had never seen anything of the kind in his entire police career.
He, however, believed that justice was served, saying, “I don’t care who you are, you come to our city and break the law, we’re going to lock you up. I’m glad no member of the public was hurt.”
Chatfield Police Chief Scott Keigley, meanwhile, was left dumbfounded by what occurred. He had never had any complaints about Gallion, who had served as a police officer in Rochester for 30 years before arriving at Chatfield. In the end, he was glad no one got hurt as a result of the crash.
“To have someone that is drinking while doing that is rather scary, but from a professional standpoint, we are better than that,” Chief Keigley added. “That is not who we are.”