WINE, WOMEN AND GUNS

I have always taught my criminal justice students that off-duty police officers will most likely get in trouble for wine, women and guns, not necessarily in that order. I’ve also taught them that the cover-up of wrongdoing, if detected, will usually result in greater punishment than that for the wrongful act itself. And too often cops will cover up for a brother officer who really doesn’t deserve their help. Here is a good example of those lessons:

I SUSPECT MORE THAN ONE WILL BE IN TROUBLE OVER THIS
By Bob Walsh

PacoVilla Corrctions blog
March 5, 2010

I grant you I don't know what the policies of the Orange County S. O. are in this matter, but I have a hunch there will be some fallout on this one that will land on more than one person.

Allan James Waters, 36, is an Orange County Sheriff's Deputy. He was involved in two automobile crashes on Monday and it looks like he was drunk. It also looks like O. C. Deputies allowed him to drive himself away from the first one.

Deputies were called to a crash outside the City Hall of Dana Point on Monday afternoon. The crash involved Deputy Waters and another vehicle. They took the report and allowed Waters to drive himself away in his somewhat smushed Mercedes. About 30 minutes later Waters was involved in another wreck with a Toyota in Laguna Nigel. The Toyota went out of control as a result of the wreck and nailed a tree. A 78 year old female passenger in the Toyota was injured, though not seriously.

The California Highway Patrol responded to that one and arrested and booked Waters for drunk driving.

An internal investigation is under way to determine why Waters was allowed to drive himself away from the scene of the first accident. Waters was placed on administrative leave two months ago for an unspecified reason. He is again (or possibly still) on administrative leave as a result of the accidents and arrest. Waters is a 13 year veteran of the O. C. Sheriff's Office.