OWI Charges are Misdemeanors
Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, Officer Bryan Lee Stuck doesn’t remember much about his birthday celebration. While he does recall sharing a few drinks with some friends, from there things get just….a touch….hazy…..
The 29-year-old Sturgis Police officer recently crashed his pickup truck through a guardrail and into a cluster of trees after spending all evening at the bar. He apparently doesn’t remember where he had been celebrating, or how much he drank during these celebrations, or even what variety of drinks he had chosen to celebrate with. During his interview with police, which took place in the back of the ambulance while Stuck was wearing a cervical collar, Stuck admitted that he couldn’t recall leaving the bar, driving away down the road, or even crashing his car into the ditch.
He also told officers that he had no recollection of climbing out of his damaged truck and running to Henry Sowles’ house nearby to call for help. When asked if he had consumed any alcohol since the accident, his answer was essentially a maybe – he wasn’t sure. After all, he couldn’t remember anything at all.
Stuck’s BAC was .178, which is more than double Michigan’s legal limit of 0.08, and he is now facing OWI charges. The charges are a single count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, which is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a possible fine of up to $500, and a single count of operating a motor vehicle with a high BAC of 0.17 percent or higher, also a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and fines of up to $700.
Stuck has been suspended from the department for two weeks following an internal investigation into the events of that night, and in addition, he has been ordered to participate in mandatory counselling. Also, Stuck was required to sign a “last-chance agreement”, which usually spells out the steps an employee is required to take in order to maintain employment, and the time period in which they is expected to show behavioral improvement.
Although it has been said that the best parties are the ones you don’t remember, this certainly doesn’t seem to be the case for Officer Stuck.
