A Massachusetts police officer is facing drunk driving charges after he allegedly crashed his vehicle into a parked car behind the police station.
Weston Police Officer Leo Richards, 54, was arrested Sunday night after a dispatcher heard a crash. Security footage was reviewed, and investigators say it was Richards, who was off-duty at the time, backing his Volkswagen SUV into another police officer's personal vehicle, and then driving away from the scene.
"He didn't believe that he had hit a car," said defense attorney Peter Marano. "And when he was told, he did return back."
When Richards came back to the police department about 20 minutes after the crash, investigators say he smelled of alcohol, was mumbling and was unsteady on his feet. He failed multiple sobriety tests, according to court documents.
Officers also found his department-issued loaded pistol improperly secured in the trunk of his vehicle.
Richards was arraigned Monday in Waltham District Court on charges of operating under the influence and improper storage of a firearm.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Weston Police Chief Michael Goulding confirm Richards has been placed on administrative leave and has surrendered his badge, firearm and license to carry.
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He told police he had three glasses of wine with dinner about two and a half hours before the incident, and that he wasn't drunk.
His attorney says the 32-year veteran was at the department to drop off paperwork, and that his union ties fighting for better working conditions and wages may have played a role in his arrest.
"There are some things that are very peculiar about this," said Marano.
Town officials declined to talk about the case Monday.
It was not immediately clear if Richards has an attorney.
