(LAS VEGAS) -- A high-ranking police officer was allegedly drunk when he drove a car into an elementary school fence, light pole and fire hydrant before fleeing the scene, authorities said Monday.
Cmdr. Charlie Davidaitis, a 22-year veteran of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, is facing misdemeanor charges of drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident in connection with the Sunday incident.
“Obviously, we are very disappointed in what happened,” police spokesman Marc Joseph said. “We don’t condone drinking and driving, and therefore our stance would be that this is unacceptable behavior.”
The accident was reported at about 2:20 p.m. in a residential neighborhood of Las Vegas, Joseph said. Davidaitis was driving a personal vehicle, he said.
Information about Davidaitis’ blood-alcohol level was not available today, and Joseph was unable to provide further details about the accident.
Faces possible termination
The police department will conduct an internal investigation to determine what punishment, if any, is appropriate, Joseph said. The options range from no punishment to termination, he said.
For now, Davidaitis is on paid administrative leave, Joseph said.
Davidaitis was in charge of overseeing three of the five sectors served by the police department. Commander is the fourth-highest rank in the department, under the positions of sheriff, undersheriff and deputy chief.
Prior to his current position, Davidaitis served for a time as a department spokesman, Jacobs said.
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