By Gregg Montgomery
Indianapolis Star
LEBANON, Ind. — A Danville police officer called one of Hendricks County’s best at curbing drunken driving left jail shortly after noon today facing charges of driving drunk.
A Boone County Sheriff’s deputy stopped Danville Police Sgt. Robert Cole, 37, about 2:20 a.m. today in a town patrol car on Ind. 39. He was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and having a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.15, Boone County Sheriff Ken Campbell said today by phone.
Danville Police Chief Keith Gill picked up the police car early today in Lebanon and drove it back to the Hendricks County town. By phone today, Gill said Cole has been identified for the past two or three years as one of the county’s best officers in efforts to curb drunken driving. Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored Cole in 2005 as one of the top 44 law enforcement authorities in Central Indiana.
Gill became Danville’s police chief in November after a 27-year career with the Indiana State Police. He spoke with Cole today.
“He’s said, ‘As many drunks as I’ve got, I should know better,’ and I have no excuses.”
Chief Gill said, “The only thing, and I don’t know how to put it. . . . This is my first time with anything like this. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the court hearing on Monday.”
The Danville chief said Cole has apologized and expressed remorse “and hates the fact of what it’s done for Danville Police Department and the police profession in general.”
Sheriff Campbell said Cole paid a bond and left jail about 12:15 p.m., staying a minimum time as required after people are stopped. The sheriff said the time is determined by additional tests of the blood-alcohol level.
The sheriff said Cole is expected to show up in Boone Superior Court 2 on Monday morning.
Callers about 2:20 a.m. reported to dispatchers that a police car was driving erratically around the Flying J Travel Plaza, 520 S. Ind. 39, Lebanon.
Boone County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dale Kenworthy was having supper when he noticed the Danville police car make a U-turn in the parking lot of the Flying J. According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, Kenworthy then followed south on Ind. 39 and later saw the Danville police car stopped with no lights on in the middle of the 2400 block of the highway.
The Boone County deputy drove his police car toward the Danville car and turned on his emergency lights to prepare to speak to the driver. Then, the Danville police car’s emergency lights came on and the driver continued south on Ind. 39. The car continued 5 miles, repeatedly crossing the centerline and leaving the right side of the highway, before stopping, Kenworthy’s report said.
Cole failed a field sobriety test and later at the Boone County Jail was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.18. In Indiana, a motorist with a blood-alcohol reading of 0.08 or greater is considered as having driven while drunk.
Copyright 2007 Indianapolis Star