A Baltimore City police officer is unemployed, finds himself on other side of his badge after being found intoxicated while on duty. Supervisors were called to the 700 block of Washington Boulevard around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday to check on the well-being of an officer.
Media Relations Chief T.J. Smith said in a statement, upon arrival, Officer Aaron Heilman, working and in full uniform, was found slumped over behind the wheel of his marked patrol vehicle that was running. Heilman was subsequently transported to the Central District under suspicion of being under the influence. “
Officer Heilman was read his DR-15 rights and agreed to submit to a breathalyzer, “ said Smith. “ The results of revealed a .22 [Blood Alcohol Concentration].”
All 50 states have now set .08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as the legal limit for driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI). For commercial drivers, a BAC of .04% can result in a DUI or DWI conviction nationwide.
Smith said Heilman was cited accordingly and suspended immediately.
The officer was working an overtime crime suppression detail after having been off for two days. He began his tour of duty approximately three hours prior to him being discovered slumped over the wheel of the patrol vehicle. Officer Heilman is a Probationary Officer and Interim Commissioner Tuggle terminated him on October 3, 2018. “I looked at the totality of the circumstances involved in this case and I made the decision to terminate this officer immediately,” said Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle. “His actions represented a safety issue for himself and the community. I simply won’t tolerate it.”