Tim Powers

Law Offices of Tim Powers

Denton, Texas

940.580.2899

A Fort Worth police DWI officer was arrested this morning in Westlake on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Upon learning of the arrest, the Fort Worth Police Department immediately placed Nicolas Ramirez on restricted duty and reassigned him from the traffic division, where he had worked as a DWI enforcement officer since August.

“Our organization works hard to keep our streets safe during all holidays. It is extremely troubling that one of our police officers, especially a DWI enforcement officer, has been arrested in this manner,” Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead said in a news release Wednesday afternoon in which he apologized for the officer’s poor judgment.

“Our residents can be assured that this matter will be handled expeditiously and to their expectations.”

Ramirez was pulled over shortly before 1 a.m. in the 1700 block of Highway 114 after a Keller officer running radar in the area spotted the off-duty officer’s Ford Explorer weaving out of its traffic lane, according to Lt. Brenda Slovak, a Keller police spokeswoman. Westlake contracts with the city of Keller for police services.

Ramirez, 32, failed a field sobriety test at the scene, Slovak said.

He was taken to the city jail where two breathalyzer tests revealed his blood alcohol content level at more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, Slovak said. Slovak said the breath test results were 0.188 and 0.194.

Because the breath tests indicated that Ramirez’s BAC level was above 0.15, the officer faces a Class A misdemeanor DWI charge punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Ramirez was later released from jail after posting a $500 bond, Slovak said.

Ramirez has been with the Fort Worth Police Department for four years. He has been stripped of his gun and badge and is not authorized to act in any capacity as a peace officer pending the outcome of an ongoing administrative investigation, the news release states.

Fort Worth police implemented alcohol awareness training in 2010 in an effort to combat alcohol-related misconduct by officers. Since 2008, 19 officers have been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, including one who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for crashing into and killing a young mother of two.

Last month, Halstead demoted Maj. Paul Henderson to captain and stripped him of his chief of staff position after Henderson was arrested in Parker County on suspicion of DWI.