Spokane7
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April 19, 2010 in City
Sheriff’s deputy suspected of drunken driving
A Spokane County sheriff’s deputy faces a one-year driver’s license suspension after refusing to take sobriety tests during an off-duty drunken driving arrest early Friday.
Darin Schaum, a 12-year veteran, appeared to be racing or confronting another motorist while driving his personal Dodge pickup about 1:30 a.m. near Broadway Avenue and McDonald Road, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
Spokane Valley police Officer Todd Miller said Schaum “identified himself as a deputy sheriff and exhibited signs of intoxication,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Washington State Patrol troopers took over the case “in order to prevent any conflict of interest,” said Trooper Troy Briggs. Spokane Valley police officers are employed through the Sheriff’s Office.
Schaum was arrested about 2 a.m. and later released. Drunken driving suspects typically are taken to a blood-alcohol content machine then released if they have a ride home, Briggs said.
An on-duty sergeant, Ken Salas, offered Schaum a ride home but “I believe he declined,” said sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Schaum also refused sobriety tests, Briggs said. No citation was issued, and the case will be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.
Drivers in Washington lose their licenses for one year the first time they refuse to take blood or breath tests, according to the Department of Licensing. “The process is pretty straightforward,” department spokesman Brad Benfield said.
Drivers who refuse the tests are given 60 days to appeal before their licenses are suspended, Benfield said.
A new state law, however, enables motorists who lose their driver’s licenses because of drunken driving arrests to retain restricted driving privileges if they agree to have ignition interlock devices installed on their vehicles.
The new law has prompted the Sheriff’s Office to review a policy that calls for employees to be fired only after their second offense.
The Spokane Police Department cited the ignition interlock requirement when dismissing a sergeant arrested in a drunken hit-and-run crash last fall.
Schaum, part of an investigative task force that tracks property crimes and fugitives, will be reassigned pending an administrative review, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Sex trafficking suspects released as probe continues 
mikewsu on April 19 at 1:40 p.m.
Local law enforcement:
Please continue to set a good example. I hope you are enjoying our tax dollars during your paid administrative leave.
TOOBAD2 on April 19 at 2:09 p.m.
wow!! coppers drinking. who would have guess??
Chopper on April 19 at 2:11 p.m.
So does he lose his license??
Will we ever hear the outcome of this or will it disappear in time??
PlanB on April 19 at 2:30 p.m.
How did he get home? Police escort?
Albert on April 19 at 2:59 p.m.
Actually good friends, this arrest was executed 2 days ago as per a report appearing on KXLY.
Officer Todd Miller actually needs to be commended on this act. He knew Mr. Schaum to be a deputy and thus called the WSP to take over. This is a very rare act of professional integrity that should be brought to light. This same article reported that Mr. Schaum’s Sargent arrived to drive Mr. Schaum home.
We all know that Mr. Tucker will of course not file charges and this entire matter will in all likelihood be swept under the proverbial rug. Needless to say, I as a private citizen and taxpayer, am sick and tired of reading about the ongoing abuse by all of the police & fire agency employees. Can’t we see something done to eliminate these blatant abuses of the law? If this were a story about an ordinary citizen, then we all know what the final outcome would be. These flagrant “thumb your nose at the law of Washington” must stop. The question remains as to how can we, the citizens of Spokane, stop this abuse??
Another_Perspective on April 19 at 3:54 p.m.
Another proud graduate of the Brad Thoma school of drunk driving.
So if he was racing or confronting another driver where is the road rage charges, negligent and reckless charges too?
Glad to see that our Leo’s are above the same laws they must enforce. Kinda gives another meaning to the word “hypocrisy”.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on April 19 at 6:11 p.m.
Thank you to the Ethical officer that turned it over to another agency… the “protectors” in this Spokane Basin” do need to adhere to the same proscriptions as are applied to the citizenry as a whole…. ??? Pregunta”?? what did the guy “blow’ on the breath measure?? john
ChefGus/ John Olsen on April 19 at 6:17 p.m.
What is the post above… some sort of WebSite from Turkey?? pull it …. j
BitofBacon on April 19 at 6:27 p.m.
If the deputy refused to perform field sobriety tests, for example, dexterity or balance tests, his license will not be suspended. It’s suspended if one refuses to take a breath or blood test to determine blood alcohol content. The article is unclear to me which ones he refused. Gus-if he refused to “blow”, there are no results.
Another_Perspective on April 19 at 7:22 p.m.
sounds like BoB knows a lot about…
frdmftr on April 19 at 8:45 p.m.
Curious if they allow ‘limited’ driving privileges and install an interlock on his taxpayer supplied cruiser allowing him to continue to work.
A new kind of ‘work release’ program for Spokane’s finest?
Until ‘we’ hold our service agencies accountable to a higher standard, corruption will continue.
What ever happened to integrity and accountability?
D Statler on April 19 at 9:26 p.m.
Maybe we could get Officer Miller to run for OZZIE’s position ! I would venture to say that there was a very freightened citizen out here that the Drunk was chasing that has quite a story to tell.I wish the news papers would follow up on this event.Then we could really see if more charges are necessary.Don’t pick on this drunk too bad.Afterall he is a police officer in a very stressfull position.We should not judge him the same as the rest of us. He will be paid to stay at home,then offered a position as a detective. He will not need to hire an attourney.The Police Guild will do it for him.Then he will get a free Federal attourney later.Then after this is all said and done.He will get another job as a police officer in some small town that doesn’t get this newspaper.I better get off the soap box now! Seriously we need to model out sheriffs department from the Washington State Patrol. The WSP police themselves better. I just hope that Officer Miller doesn’t get repremanded from the Police Guild for doing the right thing !!
spokanada on April 19 at 10:01 p.m.
Yeah for Spokane. Another drunken driver with a badge gets caught. What a great example for the taxpayers!
Dazzeetrader11 on April 19 at 10:31 p.m.
He’ll claim “alcoholism” from the stress of his job……go to taxpayer funded treatment..and go to the desk for 6 months. 5 years probation..2 with random urines and AA meetings…and reassume his duties in 1 year if he behaves and has negative urines. It’s about liability and keeping him sober….unless he’s already had a DUI in the past 5 years.
If he stays sober and reassumes his patrol, GOD help anyone who smells funny.
daver210 on April 21 at 10:05 a.m.
You people are so ignorant. This is not at all about corruption, this is about cops being people too. Cops make mistakes in their personal lives just like bus drivers, doctors, etc. In all three recent LEO DUI’s, all were arrested. No one was “let go” or had their arrests “swept under the rug”. I understand why it is news because LEO’s should know better than the average joe that drinking and driving don’t mix.
Schaum wasn’t “given a police escort home”, he was offered a ride by a Sergeant after he was processed by WSP, which he refused. He wasn’t booked into jail because most DUI offenders are not booked into jail, provided that they cooperate during the arrest and have a sober driver to take them home.
In these instances, the officers were not treated any better than any other DUI suspect.
D Statler on April 22 at 7:49 a.m.
Whoa Daver, sounds like we hit a sore spot. You are right about them having the same issues as everybody else.I am not going to throw more salt on your wound.I just want it perfectly clear that if the BAD apples in our local police and sheriffs departments were not a factor.They would not be looked at in such an adverserial light. It took years for the forces to deteriorate to this level.It will take years to regain the publics trust and with that comes respect and confidence. We can’t just vote these guys out in November like their bosses.
SugarShane on April 23 at 9:08 a.m.
undooly said: The WSP police themselves better.
Like the ones that got a years pay during the investigation of their fake diplomas only to retain their jobs because “they showed no intent to deceive”? Yeah right. All cops belong to the ‘good ole boys club’.
mommie53241 on April 23 at 7:18 p.m.
He’ll get away with it just like all our other Spokane’s finest. They all think there above the law dont ya know, they know they wont go to jail they never do
edmc4545 on April 24 at 10:48 a.m.
I don’t think most of them think there above the law, but anyone that is a cop should not be a boozer. You need a clear mind to be a cop and this guy doesn’t have that or he wouldn’t be in trouble. Drunk Drivers kill people, a fact.
edmc4545 on April 24 at 10:49 a.m.
If this deputy is convicted and he’s had previous drinking problems he should be fired.
booksandcoffee on April 25 at 4:04 a.m.
Sadly, this kind of thing makes good cops lose their taste for the work. They get tired of hearing how much they suck when they came to the work for all the right reasons and a few losers screw it up for everyone. Police, teachers, clergy etc, Pretty soon nobody worthwhile wants to get stuck with the jobs that get not enough respect but everybody needs.