HOMEDALE -- An Owyhee County Sheriff's deputy has been charged with DUI after police say he slammed his official vehicle into a power pole while drunk.
Deputy Kyle T. Pearson resigned from the sheriff's office in lieu of termination after he was charged. Owyhee County Sheriff Perry Grant says Pearson was suspended without pay immediately after the incident.
The crash happened in Owyhee County on May 14 at about 6:30 a.m. while Pearson was on duty.
Sheriff Grant told KTVB Pearson called dispatch and originally reported the incident as a 10-55, which is the code for a drunk driver. But after the dispatcher questioned him further, he changed it to 10-50, which is the code for a traffic crash.
Homedale Police Chief Jeff Eidemiller, who responded to the crash, said Pearson at first denied being under the influence of alcohol, blaming the wreck on a "coughing fit."
"He said it distracted him and he drove off the roadway," Eidemiller said.
Pearson was not hurt in the crash, but the impact broke the power pole. The crash also damaged the fender of Pearson's marked 2008 Chevy Silverado, but the vehicle was still drivable, the police chief said.
A blood test revealed the deputy's blood alcohol content to be .110, well above Idaho's legal limit of .08. Pearson was driven home and issued a summons.
Eidemiller said that while DUI suspects are often arrested, it is not unheard of to take people home and wait until blood test results are complete to charge them. Homedale Police is investigating to avoid a conflict of interest with the sheriff's office.
Sheriff Grant says Pearson had only been on patrol for four to five months. He was originally hired back in November to fill an opening at the jail.
Prosecutor Douglas Emery said the case would be handled by the Homedale prosecutor, again to avoid any conflicts of interest. Although he said he has not prosecuted a member of law enforcement for drinking and driving before, Emery said officers are treated like anyone else when they break the law.
"Law enforcement officers are not held to a different standard," he said.
Pearson has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor DUI. He is set for trial before Judge Dan Grober in September.
Eidemiller called the incident "very unfortunate" and said it was the first time in his decades-long police career that he has responded to an on-duty law enforcement officer driving under the influence.
"I'm just thankful it was just a power pole, and nobody was injured," he said.
Sheriff Grant echoed that statement, adding that he was "mortified" to hear about the incident.
Perry told KTVB it's fortunate Pearson didn't hurt anyone else or himself.
