The Flint water crisis has received national media coverage for months. Since the discovery of toxic levels of lead in the Flint water supply, there have been conspiracy theories, celebrity interventions, and more finger pointing than the Trump/Clinton debate.
In fact, it’s probably safe to assume that anything linked to the water crisis is likely to get an huge amount of press coverage. That may explain why Ellis Stafford, former Michigan State Police Inspector and current deputy chief investigator on the Attorney General’s Probe Team, has resigned in the wake of drunk driving allegations.
According to the office of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, Ellis Stafford was arrested on Saturday night in a Detroit suburb in Wayne County, MI on suspicion of drunk driving. Andrea Bitely, spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s office, said in a statement that Ellis was arrested at about 12:30 am in front of a Target store on Michigan Avenue. Officers from the Canton Township Police Department believe that he was operating under the influence of alcohol at the time of his arrest.
Ellis is a member of the Detroit Crime Commission. He, along with Andrew Arena, who was the former director of the Detroit FBI office, were both sought out by the Attorney General’s Office to join the team he was assembling in an effort to determine exactly what went wrong in Flint, and whether or not there should be criminal charges as a result. However, following his arrest, Ellis resigned from his position on the team, where he served as Arena’s deputy investigator.
In a statement released by Attorney General Bill Schuette, he says “I have accepted the resignation of Ellis Stafford. I thank him for his efforts on the Flint water investigation. Ellis and his family are in my thoughts and prayers in this challenging time.”
There isn’t currently a great deal of information available regarding the details of Elis’ arrest. The Canton Police Department in Wayne County have not released his BAC (breath alcohol content), nor have they shared any information about the charges that Ellis is likely to face. However, we don’t need details from the police to know that drunk driving charges are serious in Michigan.
If you or a loved one have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you are going to need a skilled defense attorney on your side. Don’t waste time hoping that the police will change their minds or that a court appointed attorney is going to fight for your rights. Call the Kronzek Firm today and talk to one of our experienced drunk driving attorneys. Our team has helped hundreds of clients with drunk driving defense for more than a quarter century.
