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Washington Metro Area (Map, News) - Montgomery County police officer John Distel, 32, a six-year veteran, was arrested early Friday morning for driving his police cruiser under the influence of alcohol, Montgomery County police said. Around 1:25 a.m. Distel crashed his cruiser into a barrier on the left shoulder of the southbound side of Route 270. When officers responded to the accident they smelled alcohol on Distel's breath and arrested him, police said. He has been charged with driving under the influence and suspended with pay as the investigation continues. No one was injured.
- Freeman Klopott
Armed robbers get away with cash from armored car
Three armed men robbed an armored car Thursday in Suitland, Prince George's County police said. The armored car was heading to a Wachovia Bank around 11 a.m. on the 5800 block of Silver Hill Road when then men took the guard's gun and an undisclosed amount of cash from the vehicle. The men fled in a green Dodge Caravan, but ditched it at the intersection of Addison Road and Parkland Drive and took off in a dark Buick Riviera. No one was injured.
- Freeman Klopott
Police identify pedestrian killed in Gaithersburg
A man who was struck and killed while trying to cross a road in Gaithersburg Thursday night has been identified.
Montgomery County police say 51-year-old Jerry Joseph Sandy of Rockville was struck and killed as he tried to cross Muddy Branch Road at Killarney Lane. Sandy was with a female companion when he was hit by a car traveling west on Muddy Branch Road. The driver, identified by police as a Gaithersburg woman, remained on the scene.
Teens arrested for high-dollar graffiti damage
Fairfax County police arrested three Northern Virginia teens Wednesday for a rash of at least 50 graffiti-damage cases across the region that started in December and caused damage that is expected to exceed $50,000. The teens from Fairfax, Falls Church and Arlington were charged with felony destruction of property, but police released only the name of Carlos Lara, 18, of Falls Church, because the others are 16 and 17. The Northern Virginia Community College and the United States Postal Service contributed to the investigation.
- Dan Genz
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Comments from Examiner Readers
6:34 AM MST on Sun., Jul. 20, 2008 re: "Police Blotter: Officials investigate wrong address in 911 call"
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jagadish said:
finding the wrong call adress
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Examiner Reader said:
The Montgomery County police officer is responsible for his actions, war veteran or not. The whole incident not only affects him, but the public and his fellow officers. He placed the public at risk, placed himself at risk, damaged a police car, tied up resources for extended time, blemished the county police reputation and potentially harmed the take-home police car program. He needs to pay his dues on this one. And yes, I am a police officer.
1 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
until the facts are out on the investigation all comments and anything else done are superficial to the findings. If officer Torres is found innocent in the wrongfull death suit then so be it. If not he has to live with the fact that he killed a 44 year vetran of the very badge that he says he honors. I will be waiting to hear this verdict for sure.
1 agree | 0 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The media is so off base with this. I understand that what hapenned was stupid and many people that know Distel have told him this. On the other hand though, this is a decorated war hero that spent battle time in Iraq. How many politicians in this area have totalled their cars because they were drunk? I am not a police officer and I have seen it many times. I am not condoning his actions nor am I saying he should not go through what everyone else goes through when they get a DUI. I would not consider blowing a 0.08 bac is quite the atrocity it is either. How many times do people with much higher bac counts get multiple DUI's and still do not see any jail time. The media is blowing this way out of proportion!!!
3 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Smth happened on the 27th ave, near Geary. The police officer said there was nothing to worry about, but I wouldn't call 4 cars for an hour and an ambulance that nothing happened.
176 agree | 152 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
What about the Mission District???
224 agree | 114 disagree
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