ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – An Albuquerque Police officer accused of driving drunk and abandoning his police car after a crash is now on paid suspension.
Now the chief is speaking out about the incident. Court documents say Joshua Maleki drove drunk from the westside across town to the Heights after he got into a fight with his wife, and eventually called police on himself.
“We take these matters extremely seriously,” Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden said.
Chief Eden spoke about the incident Thursday, less than 24 hours after APD says one of its own drove drunk and crashed into a median on Wyoming near I-40.
“He was in his marked police vehicle at the time, he was off-duty, but in his marked police vehicle,” Chief Eden confirmed.
According to the criminal complaint, Joshua Malecki claims he had a fight with his wife at their home near Ladera and Golf Course. He said he had a drink and a shot before getting in his car and crashing 10 miles away.
The complaint states Malecki called a friend to pick him up from the scene and take him home.
“We have no information right now from any of our officers that were present last night that it was another police officer, that it was a friend. Now that could change and we will deal with that appropriately, too, if there was some lying that was done,” Chief Eden said.
Once he was home, Malecki called his supervisor to say he was in a crash, but never called 911. An officer showed up at his home who said Malecki had blood shot eyes and smelled of alcohol.
The chief says overall, the situation is upsetting.
“I am disappointed because there are other choices,” Chief Eden said.
The chief says an internal investigation has now begun. Malecki failed a breathalyzer test, but police didn’t say how drunk he was.
APD says he left his cruiser parked on a side street after the crash.
The officer was released on his own recognizance a few hours after his arrest.
Source: http://krqe.com