Phoenix detective facing possible extreme DUI charge

36-year-old Lori Demski, a Phoenix detective, is on administrative leave and facing a possible charge of extreme DUI.

Demski was taken into custody on 11th of August within the bounds of the agency’s Mountain View precinct.

A neighbor of Demski reported to the authorities after seeing her drive away from her home near 19th Avenue and Interstate 17. A department spokesman, Phoenix police Sgt. Steve Martos, said the neighbor saw signs indicating Demski might be drunk. Martos said he did not know where Demski went to when she left in her car that night, around 11 p.m. He said, “I presume it was a short trip because… we were en route to that location, and by the time we got there, she was returning home”.

According to the Phoenix Municipal Court records, Demski is accused of extreme DUI, as her BAC limit was recorded to be 0.15 percent or more. The tests done at the scene showed her BAC level 0.20 percent but prosecutors are awaiting official toxicology results to know exactly how much alcohol Demski may have had in her system. Martos said that process can take 6 weeks, “So at this point we’re just… waiting for the criminal portion to move forward”.

Demski could not be reached for comment on the case. The BAC level and degree of intoxication will determine what penalties she could face. Individuals found guilty of an extreme DUI with a BAC of 0.15 percent receive a mandatory sentence of at least thirty days in prison and fines under the Arizona law. For a person with a BAC level of 0.20 percent, the jail time increases to a minimum of forty five days and fines are doubled.

The incident is under investigation. Demski is on paid, routine administrative leave from her assignment at the department’s Family Investigations Bureau. Martos said Demski was his subordinate at the police department and that he doesn’t believe she’s ever been in trouble for a reason related to alcohol, “I thought she was a good officer”.

News Source: www.AZCentral.com