A Georgia officer who was once named ‘Deputy of the Year’ has been charged with a DUI amid claims he attempted to direct non-existent traffic while drunk.
Garrison Page, a Houston County Sheriff’s Office deputy, was seen wearing plain clothing near Skyview Elementary School in Lizella on November 19.
He was reported to 911 by concerned witnesses who said on the road and making motions as if to control the flow of vehicles in an area with no traffic.
The mistake indicated to onlookers that something was amiss, and a deputy soon arrived at the scene.
The responding officer reportedly noticed Page speaking with Bibb County Board of Education Police officers.
According to the arrest report acquired by 41NBC, the accused, whose Houston County patrol vehicle was on the scene, was slurring his speech, had an unsteady posture and smelled of alcohol.
‘When Page noticed my presence, he immediately began walking away from the scene and entered the oncoming turning lane of the roadway,’ the deputy wrote in the document.
A Board officer also revealed that when they asked Page if he needed any medical help or was taking any medication, he responded: ‘None of your business’.
Garrison Page, a Houston County Sheriff’s Office deputy was allegedly seen drunkenly directing traffic while wearing plain clothing – despite there being no cars around
He also told the responding deputy that the accused ‘appeared intoxicated 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 ‘not right’ and was talking to himself while directing cars, though none were there.
According to the arrest report, a parent had allegedly seen Page in an intoxicated state and he ‘required help from a cashier to complete a transaction’ at Carr’s Convenience Store earlier in the day.
Officials found an open can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the passenger seat and an unopened can of Natural Light beer inside a black bag during a search of his patrol car.
The responding officer also noted that Page was uncooperative during his arrest, allegedly refused to take a breath test and reportedly even tried removing a needle from his arm during an attempted blood test.
Despite his interference, officials managed to secure a warrant from a Superior Court judge to finally get his blood drawn. The results have not been made public yet.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office’s 2019 winner was taken and booked on DUI charges at Bibb County Jail.
He was later released from prison and has been suspended pending termination from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
A court date has not yet been set for Page.
The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office’s 2019 ‘Deputy of the Year’ was taken and booked on DUI charges at Bibb County Jail
The incident happened near Skyview Elementary School in Lizella
Officials found an open can of Mike’s Hard Lemonade on the passenger seat and an unopened can of Natural Light beer inside a black bag during a search of his patrol car
This comes two months after an off-duty police officer who was allegedly intoxicated crashed his car into two people on a motorbike – leaving the pair fighting for their lives in hospital.
The collision happened around 9:21pm in Illinois and left Chelsey Farley and boyfriend Trevor Hopkins severely injured. They were ejected from their vehicle.
The couple were hospitalized, and the driver who hit them was identified as Springfield Police Sgt. Michael Egan. He is seen stumbling and struggling to stand in footage filmed shortly after the crash.
Deputy Chief Sara Pickford of Springfield Police said Egan’s last day of employment was the same day as the collision, and that he had just retired after 20 years.
Egan – who was allegedly fed water and gum by the responding officers – was not arrested or breathalyzed on the scene, and got away with just a ticket.