Fort Worth police officer accused of on-duty DWI identified in arrest records
A Fort Worth police officer who was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated while working Tuesday is identified in arrest records.
Officer Ronnie Carey, 55, was booked into jail early Wednesday after an investigation. Carey did not respond to messages requesting comment Friday.
Fort Worth police said Carey was assigned to the Special Events Unit in the Support Bureau and the investigation is ongoing. Carey faces a charge of DWI with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.15, records show. The legal BAC limit is less than 0.08.
Carey was booked into jail at 5:22 a.m. Wednesday and released on bond the same day, according to arrest records.
Fort Worth police spokesman Lt. Chris Daniels said while specifics of the incident are limited due to the ongoing investigations, “We can say that the moment FWPD officers became aware that he was under the influence, they immediately intervened and an investigation was initiated which led to his arrest shortly thereafter.”
Police said in an emailed statement Thursday the officer is accused of driving a police vehicle while drunk on Tuesday.
The officer was working in a “support services capacity” at the time and was not in a traditional police uniform or interacting with the public. The police report on the incident has not been released, but the records available online show the arrest occurred in north Fort Worth.
Carey is a 29-year veteran with the department, police said.
The officer is on restricted duty and “stripped of all police powers,” police said.
The case has been filed with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office and a further internal investigation is underway, the department said.
The Fort Worth Police Department’s Special Events/Emergency Response (SEER) unit “is responsible for coordinating and planning all emergency preparedness and disaster response issues” for the department, according to the city’s website.
The SEER unit’s mission is, “To plan, train and prepare for all hazards and emergencies which may threaten lives and property in the City of Fort Worth,” the website states. “SEER responds to both planned events and emergency situations to support and facilitate the National Incident Management System.”
Staff writer James Hartley contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 12:10 PM.
