Las Vegas police say officer admitted to drinking before crash

A Las Vegas police officer suspected of impaired driving told detectives he took Oxycontin and drank vodka before crashing his SUV last week, according to an arrest report released Tuesday.

Richard Chavez, 47, was arrested Oct. 25 and jailed on driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to stop at the scene of a crash involving damage and failing to obey a red light, according to court records.

Officers were called at 7:49 a.m. that day to the intersection of East Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Bermuda Road after a report of a crash, according an arrest report from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Crossing guards told police that a black SUV collided with an Acura, and the SUV had left the scene. Detectives found the SUV and the driver, who identified himself as Chavez, in a nearby parking lot, the report stated. Chavez said the crash was his fault, according to the report, but gave police three different stories as to where he was going.

The report did not state whether the driver of the Acura suffered any injuries in the crash.

Police said Chavez’ speech was slurred and his breath smelled of alcohol, and that he told officers he was taking Oxycontin.

“He had vodka to drink but stated he did not drink a lot of it,” police wrote in the arrest report.

After a walk and turn test, a one leg stand and a horizontal gaze test, police said he failed the standard field sobriety examination and was arrested.

Chavez, who is assigned to Metro’s homeland security division, has been with the agency since 1999, police said last week, adding that he was placed on “modified duty with pay.”

Chavez has a court hearing scheduled for Feb. 22.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.