York
A Greenwood police officer was arrested this weekend after someone reported a car driving all over the roadway on U.S. 31 in Franklin.
Jason “Jake” York, a veteran officer with the Greenwood Police Department, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of operating while intoxicated. Formal charges had not been filed Wednesday. The Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office is seeking a special prosecutor to review the case, prosecutor Joe Villanueva said.
“I, and others in my office, know York in both a social as well as professional capacity, and have for many years. As such, I want to make sure we have the utmost transparency with how we handle these kinds of cases,” Villanueva said in an email. “I don’t want anyone to be able to allege any kind of bias from my office in how something was investigated, charged or handled. Once a special prosecutor is appointed by the Court, the time frame in which things happen is up to them.”
Greenwood police officials suspended York without pay pending an internal investigation, the results of which will be forwarded to the Greenwood Police Merit Commission for review, said Matt Fillenwarth, assistant police chief.
York declined to comment on his arrest Wednesday morning.
Franklin police and sheriff’s deputies responded just before midnight Saturday to 1700 Northwood Plaza Drive. A witness had called 911 and reported a vehicle weaving in its lane. The witness said the vehicle was in the left lane of southbound U.S. 31 with its left turn signal on. The vehicle then crossed all lanes of travel on U.S. 31 and turned right into the gas station parking lot, the witness said. Officers arrived on scene and found York standing outside the suspect vehicle pumping gas. They could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from him and his vehicle, according to a Franklin Police Department report.
When officers approached York, he was on the phone, attempting to explain his location. They asked him to hang up the phone so they could speak with him. They observed an empty 24-ounce can of White Claw in the cup holder of the center console, according to the report.
York opened his wallet and showed them a law enforcement badge, identifying himself as a Greenwood police officer. Franklin officers told York about the driving complaint. He said he was fine, and that he had one beer, the report shows.
Officers asked York if he would take a Portable Breath Test, and he agreed. Officers asked that a lieutenant respond to the scene. Officers asked York if he thought “he would be over” in reference to his blood alcohol level, and he said, “I shouldn’t be over.” While the machine processed the sample, York said, “about a .15.” Officers asked him if that was his guess for the result, and he said yes. He said he took a “big drink right as I stopped driving.” Officers asked if he was referring to the White Claw, and he did not answer. The PBT registered .225, nearly three times the legal limit, the report shows.
York told police he had been following a local girls’ basketball team from their semi-state win in Jasper, and he followed their return route as they went through the city. He asked about his vehicle, and stepped back to his open driver’s door. He began talking again to the person on the phone. While speaking with them, he said, “I pulled in here to get gas. They didn’t see me driving. I’m not going to jail,” according to the report.
York told officers, “I have been drinking. I was not driving. The car was almost out of gas, so I pulled in here. I don’t know who called it in, but I was not driving like that.”
Officers asked York to perform field sobriety tests, and he briefly refused, but agreed to take the tests moments later. He took and failed three different tests, the report shows.
During the walk and turn test, officers moved York onto a painted line at the gas station, and advised him to stand on the line with his right foot in front of his left foot, arms down at his sides. They told him he was to maintain this position until they told him to begin. He said he understood. As they began explaining the test, he lost his balance and stepped sideways. They gestured for him to reset. He did, but immediately lost balance again. They allowed him to reset a third time, but he lost balance again. York said, “(Expletive) it, take me to jail,” according to the report.
Officers took York to Johnson Memorial Hospital for a consensual blood draw. While on their way to the hospital, he said he had been driving home from the basketball game. He said he stopped in Bloomington for “a road pop.” Officers asked if he meant the White Claw, and he said yes. Officers asked why his blood alcohol level was so high if that is all he drank, and he said he had a “quarter pint of apple Jim Beam” as well, the report shows.
He was then taken to the Johnson County jail, where he was released on $250 cash bond, according to jail records.
