A deputy sheriff in Washington County has applied for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) charges against the county’s prosecutor, seven months after asserting that he was pressured not to do so. The incident dates back to a car crash in July, involving the prosecutor.

At the time, the deputy claimed he felt intimidated by the prosecutor and his supervisor, leading him not to press charges. Washington County Sheriff Zac Jacobsen has since contacted the Missouri attorney general to discuss whether another county’s prosecutor should evaluate the warrant request originating from the July incident.

During the initial incident, the deputy noted that the prosecutor struggled with finding his driver’s license, smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, and bloodshot eyes, and found an almost empty rum bottle under the driver’s seat. However, no sobriety tests were administered.

Sheriff Jacobsen admitted that mistakes were made and took full responsibility. He revealed that several officers were disciplined for policy violations after the incident but did not disclose the details, citing it as a personnel matter. He also mentioned that an external agency should have been called to investigate the accident and that body cameras were not activated.

The deputy’s concerns about the arrest of the prosecutor were documented in a memo, where he detailed feeling uncomfortable and fearful of retribution due to the prosecutor’s influence. His supervisor gave him the discretion to handle the call, causing him to report the incident merely as an accident due to perceived pressure.

After reflecting on the situation, the deputy decided to submit a DWI charge due to his on-scene observations at the time of the crash. Sheriff Jacobsen said he, too, had been introspective and decided to seek guidance regarding the case from the Attorney General.

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