The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has placed one of its Captains on paid administrative leave while his DUI arrest is under investigation.
Captain David Smith has been with the Sheriff's Office for more than 25 years. He was arrested over the weekend after crashing his Mustang into a motorcycle.
The person on the bike was sent airborne, according to an off-duty deputy who was in the area when the crash occurred in Royal Palm Beach late Saturday night. The motorcyclist was airlifted to a trauma center.
The deputy says Captain Smith claimed to have drank six beers and taken a Xanax. He blew a point-196 and a point-202 in two breathalyzer tests at the scene and couldn't complete field sobriety tests.
The Sheriff's Office released a statement that read, in part, PBSO "holds its employees to the highest standards and never forgets about its duty to preserve the public's trust."
Complete PBSO statement:
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office holds its employees to the highest standards and never forgets about its duty to preserve the public's trust. Unfortunately sometimes an employee makes a bad decision which leads to misconduct and arrest, resulting in the charges.
The Sheriff's Office will remain vigilant to insure that our efforts are professional and meet the high standards that the public has come to expect.