SAN JUAN COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – The Chief Deputy District Attorney of the San Juan County District Attorney’s Office is facing charges after police said he was driving drunk and crashed.
Police said 53-year-old Dustin O’Brien hit a retaining wall in Farmington and left his vehicle but told police he did not remember driving or being involved in a crash.
One of the officers in the body camera footage said, “I’m trying to be as respectful as I can.”
His supervisor replied, “Well, let’s just do it like any other investigation.”
It happened in September in Farmington, and police said surveillance footage shows Dustin O’Brien, a Chief Deputy District Attorney in San Juan County, walk away from a vehicle involved in a minor crash with a retaining wall.
O’Brien was later found by police nearly a mile away from the abandoned vehicle with officers saying his speech was slurred and smelling of alcohol.
“So, Mr. Obrien, we found your truck, okay? There’s camera footage saying it hit a wall. Are you sure you’re okay? Were you involved in an accident?” said an officer.
“No,” replied O’Brien.
Upon his request, officers drove O’Brien back to the vehicle where they asked, “Do you remember the crash? Do you remember driving over here?” He responded “No,” to both questions.
Officers then conducted field sobriety tests which they said O’Brien performed poorly on, “Based on what we’ve seen, you’re going to be under arrest for DWI.”
According to the criminal complaint, O’Brien admitted to consuming alcohol, adding he didn’t “feel good” to drive. Following the arrest, he also refused to give police a breath sample.
While searching O’Brien’s vehicle, police found two bottles of alcohol under the driver’s seat, and one was completely empty.
The owner of the home where the crash occurred told police the damage to the wall would be more than $500 to repair.
O’Brien is facing charges of aggravated DWI for refusing a blood alcohol test and failure to give immediate notice of accidents.
O’Brien was placed on leave from the district attorney’s office shortly after his arrest. KRQE has reached out to the San Juan County DA’s office for an update.