Baltimore Cop Fired After Passing Out Behind Wheel: Police

BALTIMORE, MD — A Baltimore policeman has been fired after being found drunk and passed out while his patrol car was running, officials said. The officer blew a .22 blood alcohol content (BAC) on a breathalyzer, according to a statement from the Baltimore Police Department.

Police said southern district supervisors were called to check on the well-being of an officer who was slumped over inside a patrol vehicle in the 700 block of Washington Boulevard at 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday.

Officer Aaron Heilman, who was on duty and in uniform, was taken to the central district for suspicion of being under the influence, police said. After being read his rights, authorities said he agreed to take a breathalyzer, which revealed his blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit of .08 BAC.

A witness who knocked on the window to make sure the officer was alright told WBAL TV that the policeman smelled like alcohol after opening the window and seemed disoriented; and when police removed him from his vehicle, he had trouble walking.

Heilman had begun his shift three hours before he was discovered, according to police. After being off for two days, he was working on an overtime crime suppression detail. Interim Commissioner Gary Tuggle had announced Monday that leave was canceled for all police personnel through Thursday due to a recent spike in violence.

Police said that Heilman, who was a probationary officer, was terminated on Wednesday.

"I looked at the totality of the circumstances involved in this case, and I made the decision to terminate this officer immediately," Tuggle said in a statement. "His actions represented a safety issue for himself and the community. I simply won’t tolerate it."

SEE ALSO: No Officers Allowed On Leave As Baltimore Tries To Stem Violence

File photo of Baltimore police car by Elizabeth Janney.