A suburban Detroit police chief stumbles through a failed sobriety test in a dashcam video obtained by The Oakland Press.
Lake Angelus Police Chief Michael Farley was arrested Nov. 30 after a 9-11 caller said he was driving “like an idiot,” as we reported last week.
In the newly released video, Farley is unable to stand on one leg for more than three counts, stumbling backward repeatedly as three officers watch (two of whom seem to chuckle at times).
After blowing a blood alcohol content of .155 (nearly twice the legal limit), the arresting officer puts him in cuffs.
“Thanks a lot, Bill,” Farley tells the officer, referring to the courtesy of a double set of cuffs for looser fit. “I really appreciate this.” Another wide-eyed officer looks on, his jaw hanging open.
Chief Farley is currently serving 12-month probation, in which he must perform 30 hours of community service, submit to random testing, and pay $1,568 in fines, the Oakland Press reports.
Chief Farley is arrested after blowing a blood alcohol level of .155.
In court, he admitted he should know as well as anybody “the ramifications of drinking too much and driving.” He called the incident “a bad mistake” that he won’t repeat.
On Tuesday, Lake Angelus City Council voted to suspend Farley -- its only full-time police force member -- for two weeks without pay, the paper says.
In addition to the suspension without pay, the council voted unanimously to:
- Give Farley no pay increase for the 2020-21 fiscal year.
- Terminate him if there is any violation of court-mandated terms of his guilty plea.
- Terminate him if there is any repeat incident of this type, with no time limit.
- Require Farley to submit a complete copy of his sentence and discharge of his probation.
The video is from Keego Harbor's Police Department.
Related:
No Booze for a Year: Detroit Suburb's Police Chief Admits Impaired Driving, Jan. 7
