The Allen County Sherrif’s Department is under fire after a unique drunk-driving stop last weekend. According to Wane.com, Allen County Councilman Paul Moss was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. But before the Fort Wayne Police could arrive to give any sobriety tests, the Sheriff had ordered Moss to be released.
Sheriff Ken Fries says nothing unethical occurred; Moss agrees. But the facts have raised suspicions of many locals.
Although two law enforcement agencies were involved that night, there was only one report. The report, from the Fort Wayne Police Department, indicates an Allen County Sheriff’s Deputy pulled Moss over at about 2:31 a.m.
Twenty minutes after stopping Moss, the Deputy called the FWPD to have an officer sent out to help administer the OWI test. That officer was sidetracked by another drunk driver while en route and was delayed. He called the deputy to ask that they meet at the Allen County Justice Center to do the test.
At 3:19 the Fort Wayne officer got to the Justice Center and was informed that the Deputy and Moss wouldn’t be coming, that the Sheriff had issued an “order to disregard the call.”
Moss had called the Sheriff, he says “to find out what was taking so long and if there was a away to expedite the process.” In turn, the Sheriff told his deputy to let Moss go.
Moss maintains he hadn’t been drinking and that he was “providing a safe ride home for my daughter and her friends.” He went on to say, “If I had broken the law, they would have done their job.”
Sheriff Fries echoed that sentiment, though he was reluctant to speak on the matter. “I’m not really interested in talking about a non-story. Someone calls me who is not drunk and they didn’t get arrested.”
The vast majority of people stopped on suspicion of OWI don’t have the luxury of putting a call in to the local Sheriff. Any other person, without those sort of connections, would have been forced to wait patiently for the officer to arrive and administer the test, whether or not they were drunk. This indicates that there was some special treatment, though one can never know what went through Sheriff Fries’ mind.
If you are accused of OWI and you need someone in your corner when you go before the judge, we may be able to help. Contact our offices today to discuss the specifics of your case and what options are available to you.