Colorado Springs police charged El Paso County sheriff\u2019s Deputy David Smith with driving under the influence after he rear-ended a car while off duty, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Sheriff\u2019s Office placed Smith, 41, on paid administrative leave after the Police Department contacted the Sheriff\u2019s Office about the charges.<\/p>\n
The crash occurred at 5:23 p.m. Tuesday on Garden of the Gods Road, according to the Police Department.<\/p>\n
Smith is charged with driving under the influence, careless driving, accident driving under the influence and prohibited use of weapons.<\/p>\n
Officers ticketed Smith and released him rather than booking him into jail.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a common practice when an individual is not considered a public safety threat and\/or is not a repeat offender,\u201d said police spokesperson Derek Wilson, who declined to go into the details of the weapons charge.<\/p>\n
Instead, he pointed to Colorado law<\/a>, which states that the prohibited use of weapons offense does not necessarily require that the person use, brandish or threaten anyone with the firearm.<\/p>\n Simply possessing a gun while under the influence is enough to constitute the offense, Wilson said.<\/p>\n Smith joined the Sheriff\u2019s Office in September 2024 and is assigned to the Detention Security Division. He was employed at the Summit County Sheriff\u2019s Office from 2018-2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.<\/p>\n Colorado\u2019s online police oversight database, POST, has no documented actions<\/a> involving Smith.<\/p>\n The Sheriff\u2019s Office declined to comment further on the case, citing the ongoing investigation by the Police Department.<\/p>\n
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