Special Report: Tracee Tuesday captures DUII arrest while on a ride-along with Bend Police
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The duties of Bend police officers this week include a heightened effort to get drunk drivers off the road over the Fourth of July holiday.
During a recent ride-along, Tracee Tuesday witnessed a DUII arrest after what started as a routine evening.
During the ride-along with Officer Zachary Childers, NewsChannel 21 captured a firsthand look into the daily responsibilities and challenges faced by law enforcement officers.
Childers said: “I can be faced with a pretty significant situation, and just being in the right mindset and ready to handle that, and do what I have to do to make it home to my family.”
We began the shift on Thursday June 27th, with Childers returning stolen items to two stores: Ulta Beauty and Kohl's.
A female suspect was accused of shoplifting earlier in the day. The store manager was asked to identify the female suspect via in-store camaras.
On his next call, Officer Childers was sent to a reported accident on the northeast side of town.
He found a driver and two passengers who had been involved in what was described as one car chasing another vehicle, at speeds of up to 60 mph.
The chase, he was told by the trio, resulted in their vehicle leaving the road, crashing into a tree and ending up on the side of a driveway with severe damage.
What started out as an a crash ended in the arrest of an 18-year old male, charged with DUII along with reckless endangerment.
The 18 year-old driver was transported to the Bend Police Department for a Breathalyzer test.
A reading of .08% is the level at which Oregon law says you are too impaired to drive. The driver’s test registered just under three times the legal limit.
Processing this one DUII case consumed several hours of Officer Childers’ shift.
According to the Bend PD, six months into 2024, 284 people have been arrested for DUII.
At this rate, the department could hit 600 for the year.
DUIIs tend to increase during holidays.
Last year, Bend PD arrested eight people from July 1st through 4th for DUII.
The top call for service during the period was parking complaints, followed by 11 DUII calls.
Officer Childers said: “It's one of those interesting things about police work because we only get, often, a split-second a lot of times to make these decisions. But part of that's why we train so much. It doesn't take away the adrenaline - it doesn’t take away the nerves, but it does help us make better decisions in those high-stress times."
As we approach the Fourth of July, Officer Childers would like to remind Bend residents:
- It is illegal to drink alcohol in parks unless you have a permit
- It is illegal to drink alcohol in public spaces like roadways and sidewalks
- It is illegal to drink alcohol on the river
