A breathalyzer operator for Metro Louisville Corrections Department has been exonerated on allegations that he lied in court records when he said he smelled alcohol on a suspected drunken driver.
The Courier-Journal reported in November that more than 70 drunken-driving cases were put in jeopardy when defense lawyers discovered that Officer Brett Rehm had apparently said on videotape that a suspect didn’t smell of alcohol, then wrote in a report that he did.
But the Louisville Metro Police Department’s public integrity unit cleared Rehm this month after an investigation that found he was talking about another suspect.
Sgt. Mindy Baker said in a Jan. 16 memo that an audio-video system capturing the whole lab showed Rehm was talking about someone else when he remarked that he didn’t smell alcohol or see other signs of intoxication.
“This case is closed,” she said in the memo.
“It feels good to be exonerated,” Rehm said in a phone interview. He said he expects to be reinstated to his position soon.
Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said the investigation has been referred to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office for review, which he said is standard procedure.
Sgt. Mindy Baker said in a Jan. 16 memo that an audio-video system capturing the whole lab showed Rehm was talking about someone else when he remarked that he didn’t smell alcohol or see other signs of intoxication.
“This case is closed,” she said in the memo.
“It feels good to be exonerated,” Rehm said in a phone interview. He said he expects to be reinstated to his position soon.
Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said the investigation has been referred to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office for review, which he said is standard procedure.
Check out this story on courier-journal.com: http://cjky.it/1CE7bS7