Police Documents Claim Alcohol Use Cost Champaign Officer His Job

CHAMPAIGN, IL — A Champaign police officer recently charged with several counts of burglary had alcohol in his system while working, which ended up costing him his job, The News-Gazette says police department documents report. The newspaper says documents released Wednesday report 43-year-old Justus Clinton, of Fisher, was placed on administrative leave and received a one-month suspension without pay after he was seen behaving erratically and smelling of alcohol while instructing a September firearms training event.

According to The News-Gazette, the documents report Clinton entered into a last-chance agreement with the department on Feb. 12, which would've lasted seven years if Clinton abstained from drugs or alcohol for the rest of his career with the department. The newspaper adds Clinton then returned to work on Feb. 20, but just weeks later on March 13, an employee noticed his eyes were glassy or bloodshot and could smell alcohol on him.

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Clinton was placed on investigative leave while his police powers were suspended, before being placed on unpaid administrative leave one month later and eventually separating from the city on May 8.

The News-Gazette says a judge scheduled Clinton's pretrial hearing for July 3 after he waived his right to a preliminary hearing last week, and pleaded not guilty to three counts of burglary to motor vehicles following a series of Fisher burglaries.

More: news-gazette.com

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