Animal Control Officer Charged With DUI

According to a recent report, an Animal Control Officer in Avondale was arrested for DUI. Tempe police officers place Matthew Hoffman, 37, under arrest after receiving reports of a police vehicle driving erratically through a parking lot on Broadway and Price. When police arrived, they found that the vehicle had jumped the curb and hit a fire hydrant.

Police said that Hoffman showed signs of impairment and was in full uniform while driving a police vehicle at the time of his arrest. Hoffman was in Tempe on business for his job. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the incident.

Hoffman rose to local fame briefly in 2010 when he rescued a large tortoise that was walking in the street around 107^th Avenue and Indian School Road in Avondale.

DUI At Work: More Common Than Believed

Many people do not understand how many people are arrested for DUI while on company time and in company vehicles. The problem is prevalent enough that the Arizona legislature felt the need to set a different blood alcohol limit for truck drivers than for passenger car drivers. In Arizona, commercial truck drivers are considered to be driving under the influence if their blood test shows a BAC of .04 percent or higher, compared to the .08 percent that is standard for passenger car drivers.

It is not hard to get a DUI while at work. Even two or three drinks with lunch is often sufficient to raise a person’s blood alcohol level enough to measure intoxicated when tested for DUI. This means that it is imperative if you are going to go to lunch and have alcohol you limit yourself to one drink or order soft drinks instead.

Consequences Of A Work-Related DUI

Most DUIs that occur at work have very dire consequences for the employee. There are few companies that will not fire someone if he or she is drunk on the job. Even if your boss is inclined to be understanding, the sheer risk of the liability the company could incur if you were involved in an accident will probably lead them to terminate you.

This is doubly unfortunate because if there is ever a time you need income it is when you incur a DUI charge. Contact Alex Lane for more information on protecting your job and your rights if you have been charged with DUI.