Belleville police lieutenant faces DUI charge after mailbox is hit
A Belleville Police Department lieutenant has been placed on administrative leave after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol last month.
Lt. Shane A. Brown, 47, was off-duty when he was arrested on Feb. 22 after Belleville police officers were called to investigate a report regarding a motorist hitting a mailbox at a home on Meadowlark Lane, according to a statement from Acting Police Chief Mark Heffernan.
The officers investigating the damage to the mailbox went to Brown’s residence.
“The responding officers observed damage to his vehicle consistent with the accident scene and detected signs of alcohol impairment during their contact with Lt. Brown,” according to Heffernan’s statement. “Based on their investigation, the responding officers determined there was probable cause for Lt. Brown’s arrest.”
Heffernan’s statement doesn’t list where Brown’s home is located or explain why the responding officers decided to go to Brown’s home.
St. Clair County Court records do not list an attorney for Brown.
Court records labeled as breathalyzer “test results” for Brown are marked “test refused.”
Brown’s next court date for the misdemeanor charge is March 24.
The complaint shows the incident occurred at 3:24 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the 400 block of Meadowlark and that Brown was driving a 2020 Ford truck.
Brown’s base salary is $113,277, according to city compensation records for the current fiscal year. A news release from the police department in January noted that Brown was the commander of the investigations division.
In 2012, when Brown was a detective with the Belleville Police Department, Mascoutah police officers found him passed out behind the wheel of his personal truck and armed with his department-issued Glock 23 in the middle of Illinois 161 near the intersection of Illinois 4, according to a Belleville News-Democrat report of the incident.
A passer-by reported seeing Brown just before 5 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2012.
Brown told the Mascoutah officers that he was fighting a cold and had taken large doses of Nyquil, Tylenol Cold and a nasal spray. The Mascoutah officers called the Belleville Police Department and an on-duty officer was dispatched to pick up Brown, according to the BND report.
No one was charged or disciplined in this case. However, then-Belleville Police Chief Bill Clay said the officer who ordered another officer to pick up Brown was told not to do that again.
Heffernan praised the “professionalism” of the officers who arrested Brown on Feb. 22.
“I want to commend the responding officers for their professionalism and integrity throughout this difficult situation,” Heffernan wrote. “These officers were faced with the challenge of investigating and ultimately arresting a fellow officer; a colleague and supervisor they have worked alongside. Despite the personal difficulty of this circumstance, they conducted themselves with the same diligence, thoroughness, and impartiality they would apply to any member of the public.”
“I understand that incidents like this can shake public confidence,” wrote Heffernan, who is handling the chief’s duties while Police Chief Matt Eiskant undergoes treatment for a medical issue.
“However, I hope that the actions of the responding officers demonstrate that the men and women of this department are committed to upholding the law without exception. When wrongdoing occurs, we will address it head-on, regardless of who is involved.”
