SAN FRANCISCO – 2 Bay Area Coast Guard officers are facing charges of DUI. 1 of the incidents involved an officer in full uniform going to work, said the authorities.
Chief Petty Officer Michael Padgett was reporting for duty when the California Highway Patrol stopped him one mile from the Coast Guard gate at Yerba Buena Island.
The police officer said he smelled a strong odor of alcohol in his report. He added, “And I noticed his eyes were red and watery and his speech was slurred. As Padgett walked, I noticed he had an unsteady gait”.
Padgett had a BAC of 0.18% according to the authorities which was more than twice the limit allowed for getting behind the wheel.
Padgett, who is a command duty officer, is responsible for dispatching boats and aircraft, coordinating law enforcement, along with search and rescue operations.
The Coast Guard said in a statement that it has a strict policy on alcohol abuse. It was written in the statement, “Chief Padgett was temporarily removed from his duties as soon as the Coast Guard was made aware of this incident”.
Padgett told KPIX 5, “I’m working, and I’m going through the criminal process and everything”.
Five days before Padgett was taken into custody, another Coast Guard was also taken into custody for driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to a Brentwood police report obtained by KPIX 5, Chief Petty Officer Warren Weatherford admitted he had been consuming alcohol. His BAC level was recorded at 0.14% by a breath test.
Weatherford remains on duty managing the team responsible for navigation safety of every commercial vessel moving in the San Francisco Bay region which also includes making sure the ships don’t collide with the Bay Bridge.
News Source: SanFrancisco.CBSLocal.com