An Ohio police officer is out of a job after allegedly showing up to a service call with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.
The pickled policeman was responding to a call from a couple who noticed their truck door was open after returning home from a night on the town, and feared an intruder might have been inside their Walbridge home.
But when the officer, Michael Ervin, arrived at the scene to investigate, the couple said they could tell he was in rough shape right away.
“He was noticeably intoxicated. He appeared to be staggering and stumbling as he walked up to us. We called back to dispatch to express our concerns,” they told 13 Action News.
Additional units arrived at the scene, and administered Ervin a breathalyzer test — which Walbridge Mayor Edward Kolanko told the outlet registered .0168%.
Surreal video captured by the couple showed the uniformed officer unsteadily lurching around the scene, reminiscent of an inebriated patron shambling away from a bar after last call, seemingly having trouble even putting one foot in front of the other.
Kolanko said Ervin was immediately relieved of duty and fired just two days after the Aug. 23 incident.
“We highly value the public trust and recognize the importance and significance of this situation,” Kolanko told the outlet.
“We took swift action once this was recognized to terminate the employee and open an investigation. There is zero tolerance for this behavior, especially in a position where the community expects honesty, competence, and integrity.”
Kolanko said the incident remains under investigation and that charges have yet to be filed, which could ultimately include operating a vehicle while impaired and handling a firearm while intoxicated.
Ervin, who wasn’t wearing his bodycam during the call, joined the department Oct. 5, 2023.
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