Ron Hughes is a veteran officer. He is now on modified duty since his arrest. The police chief says the officer had violated several traffic laws before he was pulled over and arrested for DUI.
Just after 1:30 Friday morning a Fresno Police sergeant noticed a Chevy pickup driving erratically near Clovis and Belmont Avenues. The police chief says the officer noticed the truck straddling two lanes before something more concerning happened. "Saw that the vehicle had struck a curb line with a tire of the vehicle which he was driving ... and ultimately made a traffic stop and determined that the driver of that vehicle was in fact intoxicated and placed him into custody."
Chief Jerry Dyer says it wasn't until the officer put the driver in handcuffs that he realized it was a fellow sergeant.
38-year-old Ron Hughes was booked into the Fresno County Jail after a blood test at Community Regional Medical Center. We are not showing you his face because he is assigned to an undercover narcotics unit.
Jail records show Hughes was booked into the Fresno County Jail at 3:55 Friday morning and released less than an hour later.
Action News has learned Hughes was drinking at Jimbo's Bar in Clovis prior to getting pulled over.
In 1998, Hughes was hired as a Fresno Police Officer. Chief Dyer says he has worked in various capacities throughout his tenure.
Last year the Fresno Police Department made more than 32-hundred DUI arrests, Dyer says no one is exempt. "In this case, it was disturbing because it's a sergeant. And folks in this organization and folks in the community know that our department is very tough on drunk driving in our community."
The exact results of his blood alcohol are pending. The officer failed a field sobriety test. Those who arrested him said he appeared to be over the .08 legal limit.
