A member of the Seattle Police Department has pleaded not guilty to drunk driving after being arrested earlier this week in nearby Mukilteo, about 45 miles north of Kent. The officer reportedly refused to take field sobriety or a breathalyzer test prior to his drunk driving arrest which resulted in an automatic one-year suspension of his driver's license under Washington DUI law.

According to police reports, the officer was arrested following a four-vehicle car accident in Mukilteo. The crash occurred when the officer rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped at a red light, causing that car to collide with two other vehicles at the intersection. No one was seriously injured in the accident.

When police arrived at the scene of the accident, they allegedly saw that the officer had several empty or nearly empty alcohol bottles in his vehicle, an unmarked police cruiser. It was not clear whether the officer was on duty, but he reportedly told one of the arresting officers that he was undercover before refusing the field sobriety and breath tests. His eyes were allegedly watery and bloodshot, and he smelled of alcohol, according to police reports.

The officer was arrested and taken to the police station. At his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. He was reportedly transferred by the police department pending the outcome of the trial.

The officer, 46, is a 23-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department. Court records indicate that he has one previous DUI arrest dating back to 1994.

Source: Mukilteo Beacon, "Seattle detective charged with DUI in Mukilteo crash," Sara Bruestle, Nov. 2, 2011