An off-duty Los Lunas Police Department officer was suspended late last week after allegedly driving drunk and crashing her personal vehicle into a fence early Thanksgiving morning.

The driver, Nikki Baca, had a blood alcohol level of .12, above the legal limit of .08, when she crashed on Tondre Road.

The New Mexico State Police conducted the investigation.

“This type of conduct by a Los Lunas police officer will not be tolerated,” Los Lunas Police Chief Roy Melnick said in a press release. “Los Lunas police officers are expected to set an example for the rest of the community and when they break the rules, the same rules will apply to them. Officer Baca will be treated as any other person arrested and charged with the offense of DWI.”

In addition to the charges, Baca was suspended for five days, turning in her police identification, badge, firearm and police vehicle. She’ll take counseling and a workshop on stress.

She may face additional administrative discipline at the conclusion of her court case.

This page was published on November 30, 2009 at 12:50am and is filed under Archive.