Spokane7
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March 4, 2010 in City
Officer legally drunk in crash
Charges don’t change lieutenant’s work status
Undated Spokane County Sheriff’s Office photo of Lt. Stephen P. Jones.
(Full-size photo)
A Spokane County Sheriff’s lieutenant arrested after an early-morning rollover crash was legally drunk when he was driving, according to newly filed court documents.
Stephen P. Jones, 53, was charged this week with drunken driving for the Jan. 8 crash in Liberty Lake. A summons filed Wednesday gives him 14 days to appear in court or an arrest warrant will be issued.
Blood tests put Jones’ blood-alcohol content at .17, more than twice the legal limit for driving.
Jones, a 25-year sheriff’s office veteran who makes $108,000, remains in an administrative position doing special projects, as well as supervising the sheriff’s reserve program, Explorers program and school resource deputies, said sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
“His status with the agency remains unchanged because he’s not in the capacity where he would pass judgment on whether to arrest someone or not arrest someone,” Reagan said.
An internal investigation into whether Jones violated office policy is ongoing.
“There’s a policy about not doing anything that might bring discredit to the sheriff’s office,” Reagan said. “It may be that we have to wait until the final outcome of the criminal investigation to determine if there was a policy violation.”
Jones was alone when he struck a power pole and rolled his 2000 Lincoln Navigator near Third Avenue and Molter Road Jan. 8 about 1:30 a.m.
A sheriff’s deputy called Washington State Patrol after realizing the driver was a sheriff’s office employee, according to court documents.
WSP Trooper Mark Baker said Jones smelled faintly of alcohol and had an injury above his right eye. Jones said his legs were sore and was taken to an emergency room in an ambulance.
“Mr. Jones was apologetic about the circumstances but did not offer any information and he didn’t ask any questions,” according to court documents.
Former District Court Commissioner Robert Seines accompanied Jones to the emergency room, where Jones declined to answer police questions.
Seines said Wednesday he is not representing Jones on the case and learned of the crash because it occurred outside his Liberty Lake home.
Sheriff’s policy calls for employees to be suspended for a week after a first-time drunken driving offense, then fired after a second. But a new state law requiring first-time offenders to drive with an ignition interlock device on their cars could affect that. That’s still under review.
Human trafficking suspects released 
cowboy on March 04 at 12:11 a.m.
Officer Jones, will of course be promoted and put in charge of the new “drive drunk because you can squad”. With the promotion he will get plague showing him getting out of his crashed truck giving a thumbs up while guzzling a Budweiser.
twice the limit but he thought he could drive any way. how many of our police officers are drunks?
greyhound2 on March 04 at 5:40 a.m.
Lucky he works for the police department, otherwise he would be in a lot of trouble.
liarsinnews on March 04 at 7:20 a.m.
Twice the legal limit for booze and the WSP officer said he faintly smelled alcohol. Huh?
madscientist on March 04 at 7:32 a.m.
a week suspension for driving drunk? what? how much disciplinary measures are given to non police citizens when they are busted for the same thing. Sounds like a double standard.
we see the commercials on tv about not driving drunk because extra law enforcement is out on patrol. ha! We can’t do it but they can ? This idiot should have been taken to jail like any other citizen would have.
Sandy on March 04 at 7:51 a.m.
“An internal investigation into whether Jones violated office policy is ongoing.” Say what?!? Of course he didn’t violate office policy. Cops are above the law in Spokane! Heck, they even murder disabled people and get away with it!
Albert on March 04 at 8:01 a.m.
Very interesting in that Ozzie kept him actively employed. At least Chief Anne FIRED her drunken officer when arrested. It well appears that we have a double standard. If you are a sheriff’s Lt., well, we will let you hide out in the office at 108K per year and maybe the whole thing will blow over. Keep in mind that ole Ozzie is up for re-election this year. Vote him out with his double standard.
west on March 04 at 8:18 a.m.
Jones, “You know who I am?? I am government, I earn $108,000 a year, I have a title and I am elite.” “I am above the peasants whom I serve’!!! You cant fire me, I have a job for life” And..he retires at around $70,000 a year. compliments of Spokane’s low paid workers… peasants…revolt!!!
another_invalid_username on March 04 at 12:06 p.m.
He was using the Brad Thoma drivers guide book. Soon to be fired and filing a lawsuit for being disabled.
So how many other times has he hit the bottle and the throttle?
I would like to see insurance companys refuse any accident coverage if your DUI.
The spokesman will remove this post because they do not condone original thinking.
BigE on March 04 at 3:17 p.m.
1. Cops should be fired for breaking the law, just as I would be fired for not following my companies rules.
2. $108,000.00 a year to be a Lt. Deputy Sherrif
Good pay for what they do.
And don’t give me the, they risk their life for us line, don’t care, they choose the profession because they need the job title and uniform to make them feel manly, fact people, I know cops.
It’s all about me, I cannot see past the end of my own nose,
don’t bother me, I am trying to carry on a conversation while I’m driving.
BitofBacon on March 04 at 9:49 p.m.
another_invalid_username stated:
“The spokesman will remove this post because they do not condone original thinking.”
Please let us know when you have one.
D Statler on March 04 at 10:03 p.m.
Thats a great picture of Lt. Jones. He looks like a great peace officer and responsible member of the force. I think by looking at his picture, he should be making an extra 100K a year. Maybe he should be made a DETECTIVE too. Then he could skim an extra 100K a year from drug dealers.THIS HAS GONE WAY TO FAR! OZZIE and the fraudulent guild need to be fired.LEADERSHIP STARTS AT THE TOP.That is where we as voters need to start at in November. Now back to his placement while on his drunken sabatical. We need a quality officer in charge of resource officers.I never see our resource officer.Now I know why. He was trained to hide in his office so people won’t notice he’s been drinking.That might explain the lost explorers running in circles up in the hills.THEIR DRUNK ! The only thing left to touch base on is Lt.Jone’s retirement.He will be the next one to sue Spokane County for the mental duress the newspaper articles caused him.Should get enough for a new NAVIGATOR and some beer in the cup holders! LOL Oh, by the way, STEVE TUCKER doesn’t notice when thirteen of his boys are missing from the 9 am doughnut meeting. He could very well be a worse leader than OZZIE. He does have enough guts to actually fire somebody tho. HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT! Please vote these quacks out on election day.