Colorado Springs police charged El Paso County sheriff’s Deputy David Smith with driving under the influence after he rear-ended a car while off duty, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.
The Sheriff’s Office placed Smith, 41, on paid administrative leave after the Police Department contacted the Sheriff’s Office about the charges.
The crash occurred at 5:23 p.m. Tuesday on Garden of the Gods Road, according to the Police Department.
Smith is charged with driving under the influence, careless driving, accident driving under the influence and prohibited use of weapons.
Officers ticketed Smith and released him rather than booking him into jail.
“This is a common practice when an individual is not considered a public safety threat and/or is not a repeat offender,” said police spokesperson Derek Wilson, who declined to go into the details of the weapons charge.
Instead, he pointed to Colorado law, which states that the prohibited use of weapons offense does not necessarily require that the person use, brandish or threaten anyone with the firearm.
Simply possessing a gun while under the influence is enough to constitute the offense, Wilson said.
Smith joined the Sheriff’s Office in September 2024 and is assigned to the Detention Security Division. He was employed at the Summit County Sheriff’s Office from 2018-2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Colorado’s online police oversight database, POST, has no documented actions involving Smith.
The Sheriff’s Office declined to comment further on the case, citing the ongoing investigation by the Police Department.