File photo

File photo

Auburn Police officer under investigation for DUI, vehicular homicide

The officer, who was off-duty at the time, was arrested and taken to jail April 23.

An Auburn Police officer was arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide on the night of Saturday, April 23, according to the Auburn Police Department.

The officer was allegedly driving drunk and lost control of his vehicle when he hit and killed a pedestrian, according to the Seattle Police Department Blotter.

According to the Seattle Police blotter, at around 10:50 p.m. April 23, they received calls that a motorist had hit a pedestrian near the intersection of 15th Avenue West and Gilman Drive West in the Interbay neighborhood.

When police arrived, they found a man down in the street. Seattle firefighters arrived and pronounced the man dead, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Police determined the suspect was driving northbound on 15th Avenue West at a high rate of speed when he passed another vehicle just south of Gilman Drive West, according to the police blotter. At that point, the man lost control of his car, jumped the curb and hit another man who was on the sidewalk, killing him, according to the police blotter.

Seattle Police then arrested the driver and booked him into King County Jail, according to the police blotter. Auburn Police Department spokesperson Kolby Crossley confirmed that the man arrested at the intersection of 15th Avenue and Gilman Drive on April 23 is an Auburn police officer.

First appearance records from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office identified the man as 33-year-old Michael Smith. His bail was set at $200,000 and he is expected to remain in jail, said a spokesperson from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

The Auburn Police Department put the officer on administrative leave as soon as they were made aware of the arrest, Crossley said.

Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus declined to comment on this story.




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