BELLEVUE, Wash. (AP) - A Bellevue police officer who was demoted from a supervisory position on the department’s bomb squad for his off-duty conduct at a 2012 Seattle Seahawks game has been removed from the squad because of an incident involving alcohol, the department said Thursday.
An internal investigation found that Officer Dion Robertson, 49, used poor judgment and violated policy by driving an unmarked bomb squad truck after consuming three beers over several hours at two off-duty social functions last Nov. 10. The truck was his assigned city vehicle.
There was no finding that he was impaired while driving, police said in a statement.
Chief Linda Pillo said the officer’s removal from the bomb squad means a 4 percent pay reduction. The Seattle Times reported Robertson’s 2013 salary was more than $104,000.
“The behaviors shown by this officer are unacceptable and are not tolerated by the city,” Acting City Manager Brad Miyake said in his own statement. “Our officers must act with integrity and exercise good judgment - on and off duty.”
Miyake said the investigation showed the city needs to look carefully at policies concerning driving a city vehicle.
“It is poor judgment to drive any city vehicle after having a drink - even if you are below the legal limit,” Miyake said.
It was not immediately clear late Thursday whether Robertson would contest the discipline.
Robertson was demoted from corporal to officer after the Seahawks game incident in which he and a second officer were found to have violated policies on personal conduct by using offensive language.
The second officer, Andrew Hanke, resigned from the Bellevue department last month.
Hanke pleaded not guilty in early January to a DUI charge stemming from a November traffic stop. In that stop, Hanke was off-duty when a fellow Bellevue officer stopped him on Interstate 90. That officer allowed Hanke’s wife to come and pick him up. The officer also told a supervisor what had happened.
Bellevue police spokeswoman Carla Iafrate said Hanke was immediately placed on administrative leave while internal and criminal investigations were ordered.
In 2012, Hanke was suspended for four weeks and removed from the bomb squad for his unruly behavior at the football game.
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