VIRGINIA BEACH
An officer on the Police Department's Selective Enforcement Team, which specializes in enforcing drunken driving laws, is set to face trial July 27 after being arrested early Saturday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Master Police Officer Bryan K. Womble, 36, smelled strongly of alcohol and failed three of the four field sobriety tests administered to him following a 2 a.m. crash on Saturday at 20th Street and Pacific Avenue, according to court records.
Womble, who was off duty, registered a 0.15 blood-alcohol concentration, nearly twice the state's legal limit for driving, records show.
A preliminary investigation indicated Womble drove a Mitsubishi north on Pacific Avenue and turned into the path of a southbound vehicle at 20th Street, police spokesman Adam Bernstein said. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Sgt. Scott E. Wichtendahl, who supervises the eight-member Selective Enforcement Team, arrested Womble on a charge of driving while intoxicated, a Class 1 misdemeanor, records show.
Womble, who has been on the force since 2002, was released on a $500 personal recognizance bond and assigned to administrative duties, Bernstein said.
Womble arrested retired NFL star Bruce Smith last month on a charge of drunken driving. That trial is scheduled for July 9.
Smith's attorney, Larry Cardon, said he didn't know how Womble's arrest would affect Smith's case. But, he said, he hoped to see Womble's case first because it would be "beneficial to know whether the officer was guilty."
Shawn Day, (757) 222-5131, shawn.day@pilotonline.com
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