Tucson police arrested one of their own Tuesday on suspicion of extreme drunken driving, a police spokesman said.
Sgt. Robert Lund, 44, a 21-year veteran of the force, was arrested after police responded to a 11:30 p.m. call reporting a possible drunken driver near South Harrison Road and East 22nd Street, Capt. Clay Kidd said.
Officers found Lund in a city-owned 1999 Ford Taurus parked near the southwest corner of the intersection and conducted a sobriety test, Kidd said. He did not say what Lund’s blood alcohol content was.
State law considers a driver impaired with a BAC of .08 or higher, and extremely impaired with a BAC of .15 or higher. Penalties for extreme DUI are more severe, including a minimum of 30 days in jail.
Kidd said Lund was placed on paid leave. The department’s internal affairs section is investigating. Kidd didn’t say if Lund was on-duty at the time of the arrest and that the criminal investigation would determine whether he was on or off duty.
Lund is the supervisor of the Community Response Team, which have various community policing duties, for the East Division, which stretches east from Craycroft Road and south from Tanque Verde Road.
According a TPD internal affairs database, Lund received a “major written reprimand” in 2003 for violating department procedures.
Lund could not be reached for comment. Lund’s attorney, Mike Storie, said that it is too soon to pass judgment on Lund.
“I think everyone needs to take a deep breath . . . give the guy a break,” Storie said.