APD officer indefinitely suspended for reckless driving
A police officer with the Austin Police Department has been indefinitely suspended.
Officer Brendan Bloom's indefinite suspension as a police officer for the City of Austin went into effect on Thursday, June 28, 2018. According to Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, Officer Brendan Bloom violated the following rules and regulations of the Austin Police Department:
- Responsibility to know and comply
- Driving while intoxicated
- Acts bringing discredit upon the department
- Drug and alcohol free workplace
According to a memo from the desk of Chief Manley, Officer Bloom was stopped by a deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office in Hutto, Texas for reckless driving on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at approximately 3:20 a.m. Brendan Bloom was then arrested by the WCSO deputy for driving while intoxicated, a Class B misdemeanor.
After learning of his arrest, the Austin Police Department's Internal Affairs opened an administrative investigation to determine if Officer Bloom committed any other violations.
During the course of their investigation, APD uncovered relevant audio and video footage to Bloom's arrest. Video footage from January 3, 2018 revealed that Bloom consumed three vodka tonics at Darwin's Pub in downtown Austin between 9:26 p.m. and 10:57 p.m. Additional video footage also showed Bloom consuming five vodka tonics and four liquor shots of alcohol at the Coyote Ugly Saloon in downtown Austin between 11:21 p.m. and 1:21 a.m.
Audio recordings were also obtained by the Austin Police Department from 911 records in Williamson County in which a concerned motorist called 911 and stayed on the line to give a running first-person account of the reckless driving that he was witnessing.
"Yeah, this guy's pretty messed up man. You all better do something 'cause this guy - yeah, he's trying to cross that median."
"Yeah, this dude - this dude is wasted, man. We can't even pass this guy he's like dead stop in the middle of the highway right now. We can't even get around him."
"You have to do something.. he's gonna drive off now he's - wow I just wanna go past this guy."
The call was then transferred to Georgetown 911 dispatch.
"He's just all over the road and I can't pass him. I'm not going - he keeps on - he's stopping in the middle of the road."
"He's gonna kill somebody."
"I think this guy is trying to make a left turn. I don't know if he's lost or confused."
During his interview with Internal Affairs on Monday, May 7, 2018, Bloom claimed that sleep deprivation contributed to his poor driving. Bloom has the option to appeal his indefinite suspension with the Director of Civil Service within ten days from the date of his official suspension.