Police: Prince George's County officer arrested for DUI after crashing cruiser

FORESTVILLE, Md. - An officer with the Prince George's County Police Department was arrested and suspended Thursday after he was involved in a crash in his marked cruiser, police say.

Officials say Police Officer First Class Christopher Brown was off-duty at the time of the crash and was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol prior. Brown, who joined the department in 2009 and is assigned to the Bureau of Patrol, was charged with multiple counts of driving under the influence and speeding.

According to Prince George's County police, the crash happened at around 2:30 a.m. Thursday near Pennsylvania Avenue and Interstate 495. Brown clipped the back of a tractor trailer, lost control of his cruiser and hit a guardrail. Both of the drivers were not injured. A preliminary investigation revealed that Brown left the scene of the accident, but then returned a short time later. When officers arrived to the scene, they suspected he was under the influence of alcohol and was arrested.

Brown was also involved in another cruiser crash in Oxon Hill in 2012 while under the influence.

"I find the circumstances surrounding this incident gravely troubling and I apologize to the community for the appearance of impropriety," said Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski. "Know that, as always, when I have the facts I will take appropriate action to remedy this and I will make the facts known to the public."

Brown pleaded guilty to the 2012 charges and was disciplined administratively at the time.