A Georgia officer once named “Deputy of the Year” has been charged with drunken driving after claiming he attempted to direct non-existent traffic while intoxicated.
Garrison Page, a Houston County sheriff’s deputy, was seen in plain clothes near Skyview Elementary School in Lizella on Nov. 19.
He was reported to 911 by concerned witnesses who said along the way and made movements as if to check the flow of vehicles in an area without traffic.
The mistake signaled to onlookers that something was wrong, and a deputy soon arrived on the scene.
The responding officer reportedly noticed Page speaking with Bibb County Board of Education police officers.
According to the arrest report obtained by 41NBCthe suspect, whose Houston County patrol vehicle was at the scene, had slurred speech, an unsteady posture and smelled of alcohol.
“Upon noticing my presence, Page immediately began walking away from the scene and into the oncoming turning lane of the roadway,” the deputy wrote in the document.
An administration official also revealed that when they asked Page if he needed medical attention or was taking medication, he replied, “That’s none of your business.”
Garrison Page, a Houston County sheriff’s deputy, was reportedly seen drunkenly directing traffic while wearing street clothes – despite no cars being around
He also told the responding deputy that the suspect “appeared drunk and incoherent and was directing traffic in an area with no active traffic flow.”
Another witness at the scene further told officials that Page appeared “unwell” and was talking to himself while driving cars, even though none were present.
According to the arrest report, a parent allegedly saw Page in an intoxicated state and “requiring assistance from a cashier to complete a transaction” at Carr’s Convenience Store earlier in the day.
Officers found an open can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the passenger seat and an unopened can of Natural Light beer in a black bag during a search of his patrol car.
The responding officer also noted that Page was uncooperative during his arrest, reportedly refusing to take a breath test and even reportedly attempting to remove a needle from his arm during an attempted blood test.
Despite his intervention, officials managed to obtain an order from a Supreme Court judge to finally have his blood drawn. The results have not yet been made public.
The 2019 winner from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office was taken and booked into the Bibb County Jail for DUI.
He was later released from jail and has been suspended pending his discharge from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
A court date has not yet been set for Page.
The 2019 Bibb County Sheriff’s Office ‘Deputy of the Year’ was arrested and booked into the Bibb County Jail for DUI
The incident happened near Skyview Elementary School in Lizella
Officers found an open can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the passenger seat and an unopened can of Natural Light beer in a black bag during a search of his patrol car.
This comes two months after an off-duty police officer, who was reportedly under the influence, crashed his car into two people on a motorcycle, leaving the pair fighting for their lives in hospital.
The collision happened in Illinois around 9:21 p.m., seriously injuring Chelsey Farley and boyfriend Trevor Hopkins. They were thrown from their vehicle.
The couple was hospitalized and the driver who hit them was identified as Springfield Police Sgt. Michael Egan. Footage recorded shortly after the crash shows him stumbling and struggling to stay upright.
Deputy Chief Sara Pickford of the Springfield Police Department said Egan’s last day on the job was the same day as the collision, and that he had just retired after 20 years.
Egan – who was reportedly given water and chewing gum by the responding officers – was not arrested at the scene or breathalysed, and got away with only a ticket.