Photo: Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department
A Miami police officer was arrested on Tuesday (October 31) after he was found passed out in a car with a gun in his lap. An officer with the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department found 31-year-old Joevanih Sauvagere passed out behind the wheel of an Infiniti with loud music blaring from inside.
The officer banged on the window to get his attention. Sauvagere lowered the music, rolled down his window, and was told to put the car in park. Instead, he put the car in reverse and rolled back a few feet before stopping and putting his car in park.
The arrest warrant stated that Sauvagere had bloodshot eyes and was slurring his speech. The officer also noted "a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage."
Sauvagere was asked to undergo a field sobriety test, but he refused. Because he had a gun in his lap, he was detained at gunpoint while the officer retrieved the firearm.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated and released on a $1,000 bond.
"We are not above the law, and the Miami Police Department will hold all its members, from me on down to the most rookie officer, to the highest of standards," Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales told WPLG.