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Alaska State Trooper Charged With DUISee why it took two months to charge the trooper with driving under the influence. Police say he had an alcohol level more than five times the legal limit.After two months of investigating, Alaska State Trooper Eric Burroughs, 44, has been charged with driving under the influence after hitting a truck and driving away. According to charging documents both collisions happened on April 8. The first occurred when Burroughs was driving a state-owned vehicle off duty and struck a Chevrolet pick-up truck, then fled. Less than an hour later, Anchorage police say they found him at his home just blocks away and was seemingly passed out in the state-owned SUV he was driving.
“Most DUI cases, officers arrive on scene readily and are able to determine whether someone is under the influence of alcohol,” said John Skidmore, director of the Criminal Division with the Alaska Department of Law. “The charging documents in this case clearly indicates that they had some concerns about whether that was the case, so we had to take additional steps.”
Police say Burroughs was unable to complete a field sobriety test and was not arrested at the time because there was no probable cause.
“Officers did not detect an odor of alcohol and they didn’t see any alcohol containers in the vehicle. Those are two of the sorts of things you might look for in a DUI investigation,” said Skidmore.
Burroughs was taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center instead, and nearly four hours later was given a blood alcohol test after a search warrant was issued.
“He did not receive special treatment because he’s law enforcement. He did not receive special treatment because he was an employee of the state,” said Skidmore.
The trooper has not returned to work since the incident and remains on paid administrative leave. His pre-trial is set for July 11.
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thomas Taylor said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 8:47 PM
Ya right like they couldn't smell liquor on his breadth with 5X the blood alcohol level, When I registered .077, 3 one hundreths under the legal limit of .08 with 3 glasses of wine in my 163 pound body they put in their report that I smelled like alcohol on my breath and about my body. The only reason these guy knew I was drinking was because I told the truth. But these cops lied and said they smelled like it. They are protecting their own that's all..
68652589Jake Alaska said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 8:59 PM
OMG 5 times the legal limit and tested 4 hrs later! No special treatment my @$$! Thank G I am not a person too be doing anything like that! That is just hilarious. No special treatment! So funny!
68652922Left Alaska said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:06 PM
Classic! ONE of the many reasons ALASKA lost it's allure--the politics resemble Chicago, the cops resemble Mexico, and the ex-Govenor resembles a reality TV star! AND, it actually used to be REAL! Glad I left, I KNEW the lower 48 wouldn't be REAL! You all keep living living the
68653109David said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:07 PM
Passed out in a vehicle suspected of a hit and run accident,can't complete a sobriety test,and there's no probable cause to arrest him.Hmmmmm.
68653127Tundra Tim said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:10 PM
Lets see leaving the scene of an auto accident, unlawful theft of state of alaska gasoline,un authorized use of use of emegergency vehicle and or a law enforcement vehicle. Vehicle damages of over $2000.00 while driveing impaired - felonies ? an officer of the court
68653186Tundra Tim said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:14 PM
An law enforcement officer is sworn to uphold the peace and dignity of the people of the state of Alaska and has the means to use lethal force when necessary. They are supposed to go by a higher standard. These are serious aggrivators Sentenceing is supposed to reflect this
68653279Von said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:22 PM
ANY other person would have been in jail..but he got NO SPECIAL TREATMENT...so much for "PROTECT" and serve
68653452Katherine B Little said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:22 PM
in Palmer he would have gone straight to jail.... like everybody else...I hope!!!!!
68653457Jake Alaska said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:24 PM
And what makes it even more funny! Read the last sentence! (The trooper has not returned to work since the incident and remains on paid administrative leave. His pre-trial is set for July 11.) Thats just great. More of our tax dollars going too him for what we as tax payers hired him too do keep our highways SAFE!
68653502Anonymous said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 9:34 PM
tHE BRIDGE OVER TANANA IS FOR THE USE OF ALASKA NOT ME. WELL GUESS WHAT JOHN Q TAXPAYER WHERES MY CUT HUH?? ANSWER ME THAT ?? EVERYTHING IS A SCAM IN ALASKA. WELL ILL TELL YOU WHAT IM VOTING WITH FRIENDS TO START A BRAND NEW GOVERNMENT IN ALASKA CALLED THE PEOPLES GOVERNMENT. MILK IS ALMOST 4.20 PER GAL. COFFE IZ EXPENSIVE TO.
68653702Steve Rogers said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 10:04 PM
It's amazing that you people get on these message boards and display your horrible spelling to the world.
68654263akbandit said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 10:09 PM
Talk about BULLSH*T!!!!! 'Had to take additional steps' to determine if he was drinking? A blood test result does NOT take 2 months! This is why I and many others have ZERO respect for cops. It's not becaue of him driving drunk, rather it is about the rest of the cops/legal system COVERING UP FOR HIM. It's about him being PAID to sit home, instead of sitting in jail as you or I would be doing. He needs to be placed on UNPAID leave, put in jail until he pays bail like anyone else would, and fired once he is found guilty (pretty cut and dry given the evidence). Doesn't the ad claim- 'you drink, you drive, you go to jail'? Maybe they need to amend it to say 'unless you're a cop or a judge'. Total complete bullsh*t, and we foot the bill.
68654367BooyBob said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 10:15 PM
Any other person would have been in the back of a patrol car in less than 5 minutes. No special teratment my ___!
68654503Jake Alaska said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 10:28 PM
Don't twist the comments! They were not meant for all troopers in service! Trust me most of the troopers out there are doing an awesome job! Hats off troopers! Most of you do a swell job for the most part! It was just what Skimore stated "No special treatment was given because he was a trooper slash emloyee of the state" When in fact special treatment was given. Just goofy as hell if nobody reading didn't think of it any other way. We all share the responsiblities one way or another!
68654699Anonymous said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 10:41 PM
AST, APD and FPD are starting to smell of the old LAPD, Pre-Rodney King....Alaska style.
68654853Anonymous said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 10:50 PM
The justice system is both a joke and a failure. How the hell do you pull something like that off and then keep getting paid to sit at home at the expense of the taxpayers? Anyone else in the exact same scenario would've been taken straight to jail and treated like sh*t.
68655046Dick of North said on Wednesday, Jun 8 at 11:17 PM
Goofy bs...take a look who's in jail and its almost all Alaskan Natives; mostly for alcohol related and now look who gets off with a paid vacation...
68655542jleyva said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 6:38 AM
my buddy went out to his truck after drinking at koots and decided not to drive...he went to sleep in his truck...the police came and arrested him for DUI and the keys weren'tevn on him...he had given them to a friend...so how is it that they found this officer slumped behind the wheel...obvious that he had been driving...even if they couldn't prove at that point that he had hit something...and not gone straight to jail. they didn't smell alchohol...ya right...but fail a sobriety test...???? were they keys in the ignition????...what a joke....and he's still getting paid...anyone else would have gone to jail then couldn't show up for work and probably lost their job...
68672334Anonymous said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 6:59 AM
@ akbandit: "Maybe they need to amend it to say 'unless you're a cop or a judge'."....or a politician.
68674048another concerned Alaskan said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 7:29 AM
This is not right, this guy should lose his job. A Trooper is suppose to be one of alaska's most respected branches of law enforcement. they should be setting the highest standard of law enforcement by protecting the State of Alaska and its citizens. I believe this man has proven his disloyalty to law enforcement and what it stands for and should have been fired long ago. I've never seen such a revolving door of D.U.I case's. i've seen case's where people were under the limit and still arrested because the officer thought the driver to be unsafe to drive, so you tell me 25,000$ on average for first D.U.I HMMM lets see the state sure does like $$$$$$. Final comment everybody will hate this he's getting 1500 dollars a week to sit at home during all this and while he's sitting in court. crazy huh, concerned alaskan
68676107Russ said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 7:52 AM
Talk about double standards this disgusts me on so many different levels.
68677799jkg said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 7:54 AM
He' going down!
68677874Sidinak said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 8:32 AM
Time to call the Governor!
68680754joser77 said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 12:32 PM
PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE?? REALLY??? How about unpaid leave. Why reward him with time off and pay him at the same time.... totally disagree with that...
68698931Tommy said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 12:59 PM
Troopers and Cops always try to take care of their own.They are a true Brotherhood even for the crooked law officers until they may or may not be found guilty.
68700852Anonymous said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 3:07 PM
After reading this article, it just proves that you CAN NOT trust law enforcement. They see themselves as above the law and it does not apply. They spin what they want the public to belive no matter the facts. Ever had a cop harrass you for the dumbest thing and then seen them reak the law?? The best way to change this is to IMPEECH the Chief of Police!! That is a public right to demand impeechment and I have see impeeeching a police cheif REALLY get things taken care of short order. IF ALL of you want change, make it happen, don't just complain about it!!
68707813Anonymous said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 3:15 PM
I agree, let the public get together to impeech the leader and make an example. The only way to bring change is through community unity to clean up those who are PAID to protect us and uphold the laws. Personally I have had contact with Troopers in/near Fairbanks and here in the Valley/Anchorage. The ones in Fairbanks are FAR better mannered in my experience. However the ones here are 100% more likely to act corruptly and harrass you unti THEY creat a problem and then blame it on the citizen!!! Those who DO NOT act to improve things and just complain affre a big a part of the problem as the problem itself. Those who work together can make a pos
68708177Anonymous said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 3:17 PM
Those who work together to make a positive change for not only ourselves but our children are the ones that have the right to complain. Those are the people that should be uniting and a community united can do many things such as impeech the police cheif. Then we will see how many Officers are willing to turn a blind eye on their own..
68708237Raven33 said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 6:18 PM
More than 5 times the legal level and there was no odor? Must be a new kind of booze!
68717209john larens said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 7:14 PM
Why would anyone, but a criminal want to impeach the one officer who is outing, and prosecuting those 'Veteran officers' who have been 'helping themselves' to the authority given them?
68720111Corruption! said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 7:19 PM
Take a look at 3AN-88-02286CR. "Unknown: Unkown" Would anyone guess this is a DUI for a Superior Court Judge? How did this get changed to "Unknown"
68720381David Lane said on Thursday, Jun 9 at 7:23 PM
Pigs...
68720553akbandit said on Sunday, Jun 12 at 9:10 AM
@ John Larens- What makes you think Mew is "the one officer who is outing, and prosecuting those 'Veteran officers' who have been 'helping themselves' to the authority given them"? All we see of him is his vague interviews with no apparent outrage at his own corrupt crew. He is in the position of trying to protect and cover for his men, while having to smooth over any issues like this by making placating comments to the public. He is not ACTIVELY outing or prosectuing anyone. He is doing the bare minimum to keep up appearances. Impeaching him and replacing him with a stronger chief who UPHOLDS the law and makes his men a POSITIVE example in the community could change our negative perception of local law enforcement. Burroughs should have been sent to jail and processed exactly the same as any other dui case. THAT would have sent a message to both other cops and the public that Mew is a man of integrity. Instead, he showed us exactly the opposite is true. Pathetic!
68845151Sig Hansen said on Monday, Jun 13 at 1:30 AM
We have a lot of hit-and-runs here. Wouldn't surprise me if somebody was covering this up when a fellow cop is involved. And for those who feel the whole force is getting a bashing here, bear in mind there is NO WAY this guy was heavily drinking and nobody on the force knew. Either they did and were looking the other way, or they didn't which makes them really really incompetent.
68871802Shelly said on Monday, Sep 5 at 10:08 AM
What happen to a breathalyzer, which he has to take or lose his license?? Thought that was always a catch all! Officer who let him off, and didn't catch any signs for a man over 4.0 BAC, needs to be let go also!
73405454Anonymous said on Sunday, Sep 25 at 12:10 PM
you have to flush the toilet before you clean it!!!
74337349Alan Carr said on Sunday, May 5 at 3:53 AM
What is the update on this case?
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