WASHINGTON — A man charged with murder in the December crash that killed a D.C. police officer had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit, WTOP reported.
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Jerrold Coates, 47, of Northwest D.C., is charged with second-degree murder and other offenses in connection with the death of Officer Terry Bennett, 32, according to the report. Bennett was assisting a stranded motorist on Interstate 695 on Dec. 23 when he was struck. He later died from his injuries.
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According to evidence presented on Feb. 9 during a probable cause hearing in D.C. Superior Court, Coates was driving erratically and at high speeds, with video showing him swerving through traffic. A blood test following the crash revealed a blood-alcohol concentration twice the legal limit of 0.08, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter stated.
Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Coates held without bond.
Coates, a paraplegic who uses hand controls to drive, told officers the controls sometimes malfunction, according to the report. He also reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before driving.
He is due back in court in May.
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