Confidential Documents Reveal How Intoxicated NY Police Officers Evaded Charges | Carscoops

      Despite clear signs of intoxication, many officers in New York returned to duty after brief suspensions.

      Recent findings reveal that at least 17 NY officers evaded DWI charges even though there was evidence of drunk driving. Some of these officers acknowledged excessive drinking prior to accidents but only faced suspensions or reprimands.

      Experts caution that insufficient statewide oversight allows police departments to protect their members from accountability.

      Police officers sometimes receive unwarranted criticism; however, there are instances where they escape consequences for their actions while enforcing their own brand of justice. A new report indicates that since 2013, at least 17 cases have shown police avoiding charges despite allegations of drunk driving. These situations were reportedly addressed internally.

      The report stems from a collaborative investigation by the New York Times and New York Focus, a non-profit news organization. The teams accessed over 10,000 previously confidential disciplinary documents and began reviewing them. Some of the findings are infuriating.

      Patterns of Protection

      The records were kept from the public until the repeal of New York's secrecy law in 2023 and reveal incidents of officers crashing into guardrails, hitting parked vehicles, and even wrecking official cars. Some officers reported to work intoxicated, including at fire scenes and during crime investigations. Sobriety tests were often overlooked, with only one officer pleading guilty to a lesser charge of “driving while ability impaired.”

      For example, an off-duty State Police investigator, Ronald W. Wilson, reportedly crashed his BMW into a Jeep near Buffalo. Witnesses noted his slurred speech, wobbly walk, and strong smell of alcohol. While Orchard Park officer Andrew Kowalski documented these observations, he chose not to conduct a sobriety test. Instead, another State Police sergeant offered Wilson and his girlfriend a ride home.

      Days later, Wilson confessed to driving after consuming six cocktails and a shot. He received a 35-day unpaid suspension and was ticketed for following too closely. He remains employed with the NY State Police, despite Kowalski later being awarded for his DUI enforcement efforts. This is not an isolated case.

      Lenient Consequences

      In another incident, Ethan Mosher, a sergeant with Watkins Glen Village PD, was found to be intoxicated in public. Later that day, his car crashed into another vehicle and then he fled the scene. Mosher denied being the driver but accepted a suspension for the incident. He was promoted three years later and is now the head of the department, having never faced charges related to the crash.

      The investigation uncovered instances of officers admitting to consuming nine or more alcoholic drinks before their shifts, chiefs colliding with guardrails after late-night events, and deputies involved in ATV accidents with body cameras “inadvertently muted” during the response. Most received only brief suspensions, reprimands, or mandatory alcohol screenings prior to shifts.

      Two Standards of Justice

      These revelations highlight a troubling reality. While many police officers strive to uphold the law, those who permit deviations for their colleagues tarnish the reputation of the entire profession. Would officers ever overlook DUI or DWI charges for themselves or help someone they suspected was impaired? Most likely not.

      In contrast, ordinary citizens risk incarceration, license suspension, hefty fines, and life-changing repercussions for such offenses. Meanwhile, these officers, tasked with the duty to “protect and serve,” experience an entirely different kind of justice.

      Some officers showed signs of alcohol consumption to their peers, while others confessed in confidential internal interviews to drinking and driving. They often faced suspensions but not arrests.