A North Chicago police officer has been charged in connection with a fatal drunk driving car accident that happened on Lake Shore Drive last week.
Authorities say that the 35-year-old off-duty police officer was drinking to celebrate his birthday when he drove the wrong way on Lake Shore Drive and hit a car carrying two men, ages 25 and 27.
Relatives of the men say the officer’s $500,000 bail was set too low and that the officer received preferential treatment in the case.
“He’s getting a slap on the wrist because he’s a police officer,” said the mother of one of the victims.
“He will wear that monitor so that I can prevent him from driving while this case is pending,” a judge in the case said.
The Chicago Tribune reports that the police officer refused a DUI kit at the hospital after the crash. The officer’s blood was drawn however and his blood alcohol content was 0.184, more than twice the legal limit.
The officer faces charges of reckless homicide and drunk driving, along with a charge of driving the wrong way. The North Chicago Police Department has put him on administrative leave.
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