Police Chief: Officer On Leave After Arrest On DUI Charges
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
GREEN TREE (KDKA) -- A Green Tree police officer has been placed on leave after his arrest in connection with a DUI crash, according to a statement from the police chief.
According to the chief, the officer was involved in an off-duty crash at Saw Mill Run Boulevard and Maytide Street, and arrested on DUI charges.
According to the criminal complaint, the officer - identified as 49-year-old Eric Diehl - struck another car on Saw Mill Run Boulevard, and a parked car in a parking lot.
The officer who responded to the scene said he smelled alcohol on Diehl, the criminal complaint said.
Police say he told them that he had had three beers at his cabin in West Virginia three hours before the crash.
Officers say they gave him a field sobriety test, but he was unable to keep his balance.
Pittsburgh Police are investigating.
The full statement from Green Tree Police Chief Colin Cleary says:
"This morning, I was made aware an officer of the Green Tree Police Department was involved in an off-duty motor vehicle accident and was arrested for DUI. The incident is being investigated by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
"The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of both the criminal and internal investigations. I cannot comment on the internal investigation as it is a personnel matter."
The chief says Diehl has been a Green Tree officer for more than 20 years. He has a preliminary hearing in January.
The incident remains under investigation.