LAPD Traffic Officer Charged With DUI
A Los Angeles Police Department officer, who does DUI and traffic enforcement himself, got arrested last week when he was off duty, on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, according to a news article posted in the Los Angeles Daily News.
The 27-year-old officer, Brian Lawrence Gossh, called the charges “ridiculous” and says the arresting Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies performed an unlawful arrest, which he intends to challenge in federal court. Gossh was arrested July 1 in an Arleta intersection after he reportedly swerved to avoid hitting another motorist who Gossh says, suddenly applied his brakes. A passing deputy who saw this near accident stopped Gossh’s car. No one was reportedly injured.
According to the news report, Gossh told the deputy who stopped him that he was an LAPD officer and that he had a gun in his vehicle. But Gossh says at this point the other officer held his finger close to his nose and repeatedly said, “You’re drunk.” After that, the deputy ordered Gossh out of the car and to stand against a fence, he said. Gossh denied that he was drunk that day and insists that he simply does not drink. What’s more, he maintains he had a blood alcohol level of 0.00 after a Breathalyzer test and gave a urine test, the results of which are not yet available.
But Gossh is confident that it was simply a traffic matter and the deputy had no business arresting him, which is why he intends to file a wrongful arrest lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. LAPD already calls it a “personnel matter,” which means Gossh’s department has probably already launched an investigation into the incident.
Definitely the officer’s career is on the line here. And he’s no exception. Anyone who is accused of a DUI has a lot at stake – career, family, driver’s license and money to name a few of the things involved. That’s why our Southern California DUI defense attorneys give our all to help you fight your DUI. Those who really drive drunk and commit repeat offenses need to get help. But those who are wrongly accused need all the help they can get to clear their name. If you are one of those people, we’re here to help.
