A Dallas County, Arkansas Sheriff's deputy has resigned following an incident in which he was a passenger in his personal vehicle with an inmate at the wheel while officials say both men were drunk.
Investigator Chance Dodson was in the front passenger seat went jail inmate Jason Poole drove the vheicle into a ditch before crashing into a fence Saturday night on Old Warren Road just outside of Pine Bluff in Jefferson County, according to KATV.
Both Poole and Dodson were taken into custody and transported to the White Hall Police Department to administer a blood alcohol content test.
Body camera video from White Hall Police shows Dodson become beligerant and tell the arresting officers that they're "on the same team."
According to incident reports, Dodson told deputies that he was an undercover police officer and they had just blown his cover. Dallas County Sheriff Stan McGahee said that no deputy would be undercover in their personal vehicle in another county.
The department had initially suspended Dodson while Jefferson County conducted their investigation. The department planned to fire Dodson, but ended up turning in his resignation a day earlier.
Deputies in Dallas County were allowed to check out inmates to help perform duties, but that policy has since changed. Deputies now need to be given written consent by the sheriff.
Because Dodson wasn't in the drivers seat when deputies arrived, he was only charged with disorderly conduct. Poole blew a 0.14 BAC and was charged with DWI.
