9 Investigates found that an Edgewater police officer involved in a suspected drunken driving incident with an off-duty Daytona Beach police officer, was arrested on suspicion of DUI last year.
Body cameras on Edgewater police officers were rolling while Daytona Beach police Officer Aaron Swartzfager was questioned during a traffic stop last month. The cameras were then turned off for four minutes during that stop.
Swartzfager, who was off-duty, was pulled over on June 7 by Edgewater police Officer Stephen Binz when he was caught driving with a trash can under his vehicle near 16th Street and India Palm Drive just after 2 a.m.
Channel 9 found out Friday that Binz nearly crashed into a patrol car in Port Orange last year.
In video released by law enforcement in the July 2015 incident, Binz has to be helped to his feet by an officer, and later in the video, he can be seen barely able to walk a straight line.
According to the report, Binz admitted he had 10 alcoholic drinks.
According to a second report by Internal Affairs, Binz violated the department code of conduct by failing to obey all laws. Binz was punished both criminally and by his department.
Binz pleaded no contest to misdemeanor DUI charges in December.
However, Binz was not fired. Instead, he served a 30-day suspension by the department and was sentenced to a six-month probation by the courts, as well as, community service and he was ordered to pay fines.
A far as the incident with Swartzfager, Eyewitness News asked Edgewater’s police chief why there was no field sobriety test, and why officers were allowed to turn the body camera off.
The chief said Swartzfager received no special treatment and defended his officers, saying they felt, based on observations, that Swartzfager did not appear impaired.
The chief said their investigation into this case is closed.
The Daytona Beach Police Department is the only agency investigating the case. They have launched an internal investigation in Swartzfager regarding the June 7 incident.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Previous story: Daytona Beach officer on desk duty following crash, investigators say
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