CALDWELL -- A Caldwell Police officer who was previously honored by the city resigned from the force after his second arrest in three days for driving under the influence.
Sgt. Adam Matthews was arrested by the Canyon County Sheriff's Office for DUI Thursday, then again Saturday. Both charges are misdemeanors.
Caldwell Police Chief Frank Wyant confirmed Tuesday that he had accepted Matthews' resignation, calling the events that led to Matthews' departure "disappointing" and "sad."
"All officers are human beings dealing with their own issues - they're not just a badge and a gun," he said. "Sometimes they make bad choices, and there are consequences."
Wyant said Matthews had been with Caldwell Police for 11 years, and had been a "great officer." Still, the police chief said, officers are expected to uphold a certain standard of behavior.
He said it is typical for officers in any department to step down if they are arrested for a crime. Lesser offenses, like infractions, are looked at on a case-by-case basis and do not automatically mean an officer will lose his or her job.
But a DUI arrest is different, he said.
"This is one that could affect a lot of people," Wyant said. "You could change peoples world, so the severity is a little different than a inattentive (driving) or a speeding ticket."
Matthews' arrests come just one year after he was honored for his compassion in the line of duty.
Matthews, along with Officer Chad Ivie, was named Employee of the Month by the City of Caldwell in June 2016 after the officers were dispatched to a call of a choking toddler.
The mother of the 11-month-old boy was not able to go to the hospital with him, and asked the officers to look after he son. Matthews and Ivie stayed by the child's side, changing his diaper and holding him until his mother could get to the hospital.
Photos of the officers' holding and talking to the toddler went went viral, reaching more than 3 million people, according to the department.
Matthews also received a Meritorious Action Award from the department in January.
He is due in court June 20.
