WAFF.com: North Alabama News, Radar, Weather, Sports and Jobs-Questions remain about DUI arrest of Tuscumbia police chief

Questions remain about DUI arrest of Tuscumbia police chief

By Nick Lough - email | bio
Posted by Dana Franks - email

FLORENCE, AL (WAFF) - A local police chief is on administrative leave as the city he serves decides what's next.

Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan faces DUI charges after a Saturday afternoon arrest. A neighbor called 911 after an SUV ended up in his Florence yard. The vehicle was in the yard across the street from the chief's house with the keys still inside and Logan nowhere near the vehicle.

Logan's white SUV sat out in front of his house on Monday, but tire tracks that lead down his front lawn to a hole that used to hold his mailbox remain.

"We had a report that there had been a crash in a residential area," said Florence Police Chief Rick Singleton. "The officers responded to the scene."

When Florence police arrived around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Logan's mailbox was gone and another vehicle on the street was damaged.

"The vehicle was in a neighbor's yard and Chief Logan was outside his residence," Singleton said. "The witness removed the keys from the vehicle and gave the officers a statement about what he had seen."

Singleton said Logan refused a field sobriety test and a Breathalyzer. He was charged with DUI and booked in the Florence County Detention Center, where he was later released.

On Sunday afternoon, Logan announced he was taking a leave of absence from his post in tuscumbia.

"We have to make sure that we uphold and enforce the laws that we were sworn to uphold and enforce and not violate them," Singleton said.

Prior to taking over in Tuscumbia, Logan served as the deputy chief for the Florence Police Department. He resigned in February of 2008 while the Alabama Bureau of Investigation looked into a misconduct allegation.

Florence police took blood and urine samples after Logan was taken into custody. Officials said it could take a few days or even weeks to get the results on those back.

©2009 WAFF. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.