Bagpiper N.J. Police Detective Charged with DWI After Drunk Driving Crash

N.J. Police Detective Charged with DWI After Drunk Driving Crash

After driving off a road in Chatham Borough, State Police Detective Joseph P. Brennan was charged with drunk driving. Detective Sgt. 1st Class Joseph P. Brennan was off-duty at the time of the crash. He had been playing bagpipes at a private birthday party for Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio earlier in the night. Brennan’s car crashed through a concrete wall and came to a rest on top of a large rock.

The sources would not reveal if Brennan, a member of the Pipes and Drums of the Blue and Gold non-profit trooper-led bagpipe band, had been drinking. Brennan was found unresponsive behind the wheel of his SUV at 3:17a.m. by borough police. Police said once they got Brennan’s attention, he seemed confused and had to be told that he had been in an accident. Police reported that his breath smelled of alcohol and his lips were stained purple. Police asked if he had been drinking and he mumbled what sounded like a “no”.

Brennan is assigned to State Police’s Analysis Unit at the Regional Operations Intelligence Center in West Trenton. He joined the force in 1998 and was earning $105,588 in 2011. He was charged with DWI, reckless driving, and refusal to submit to a breath test. After his arrest, he was suspended without pay pending the conclusion of his case and an internal investigation.

The police report says that Detective Joseph Crecca asked Brennan to get out of his vehicle but Brennan repeatedly reached under his right hip under his jacket which made Crecca feel “unsafe”, so he handcuffed Brennan’s left hand and then guided him out of the vehicle. On Brennan’s right hip was his gun, which Crecca confiscated when another officer arrived. Officer’s seized Brennan’s State Police Badge and he was booked at borough police headquarters, where he refused a breath test.

If you have been arrested for driving drunk, contact an experienced and skilled New Jersey DWI attorney for legal assistance.

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