Michigan: Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Brian Filipiak got one year probation; Sheriff Jerry Clayton kept him on in civilian post

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Officer Lt. Brian Filipiak seen on Nov. 13 in Rust Township in screenshots from body camera footage from the Montmorency County Sheriff’s Department

ON THE WAY TO DEER CAMP AND BOZO DEPUTY WAS LOADED FOR BEAR!

Lt. Brian Filipiak refused to alight from his truck; driving at three times the legal limit

The Drunk Driving arrest of Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Brian Filipiak as he attempts to convince the arresting deputy to let him go, refuses to get out of the vehicle, asks “Let me go.”

Editor’s Note: This is the story of how a police officer obeyed the law and delivered on his oath to protect and serve the public. Hats off to Deputy Zach Morrison – the proof that most law officers do a great job for the public even when faced with idiots like Brian Filipiak. The reporting of Michigan Live reporter John Counts on this story was excellent. 

“I’ll lose my job and my career if I let you go, you’re intoxicated and I know it and you know it, you were all over the road. We had multiple phone calls about an erratic driver. You are refusing to step out of the vehicle.” – Deputy Zach Morrison.

“Let me go.”

 

Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton

 

Boozing Sheriff’s Lt. Brian Filipiak sentenced to one-year probation; loses badge but Sheriff Jerry Clayton kept him on as civilian employee

Filipiak was arrested in Rust Township with a blood-alcohol level of 0.28 – more than three times the legal limit.

 

 

Lt. Brian Filipiak only obeyed the command to get out of his truck when threatened with a taser. Montmoreency County Sheriff photo

From The Ann Arbor News

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Lt. Brian Filipiak sentenced for operating while intoxicated Photo courtesy of The Ann Arbor News

ATLANTA, MI — A former Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant was sentenced Friday, March 3, 2017, to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service for drunken driving.

A northern Michigan judge also gave Brian Filipiak a 93-day deferred jail sentence, which means he will only serve the time if he violates probation.

Dressed in a black suit, Filipiak chose to let his attorney do the talking at the sentencing, which took place before 88-2 District Court Judge Benjamin Bolser in Atlanta, the seat of Montmorency County, where the former lieutenant was arrested last November. MORE

FILIPIAK HAD HISTORY OF ALCOHOL INCIDENTS WITH OTHER POLICE AGENCIES

Daughter afraid to ride home from airport with her drunk Dad

From the Ann Arbor News:

Boozing deputy Brian Filipiak shows up drunk at an airport to pick up his daughter; she ran to the restroom to hide from him. Photo from Detroit Airport footage.

Police reports obtained by The Ann Arbor News show the November incident was not Filipiak’s first contact with police involving alcohol use. Reports show there were at least two incidents in 2013.

Filipiak and his Boyne City-based attorney, Timothy Arner, declined to comment on the prior incidents when asked about them following the sentencing Friday.

Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said the department was aware of the past incidents and investigated them and ordered corrective action as appropriate.

The first incident occurred about 12:30 a.m. July 21, 2013, at the United Airlines Baggage Service Office at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Wayne County Airport Authority officials responded to a report that a juvenile girl was hiding in the office, an airport authority police report showed. The report includes two narratives – one written by Officer Thomas Zahina and one by a Lt. Tavtigian, whose first name was not included.

The girl had told a United employee that she was afraid of someone and told police that she was afraid to leave with her father, the report shows.

The portion of the report written by Zahina said the girl, who was crying and visibly shaken, told him she was supposed to get a ride home from the airport from her father but thought he was acting strange and appeared intoxicated when she met him in the baggage claim area.

“It became immediately apparent that B. Filipiak was intoxicated,” Zahina wrote. “There was an odor of intoxicants coming from his breath and his eyes appeared red and glossy. I asked how he got to the airport and he stated that he drove.”

Zahina then approached Filipiak.

“It became immediately apparent that B. Filipiak was intoxicated,” Zahina wrote. “There was an odor of intoxicants coming from his breath and his eyes appeared red and glossy. I asked how he got to the airport and he stated that he drove.”

After advising Filipiak to arrange for he and his daughter to be picked up, Zahina asked for Filipiak’s identification, Zahina wrote in the report. Filipiak repeatedly refused to hand it over and Zahina explained he faced arrest if he didn’t comply, according to the report.

“B. Filipiak stated, ‘You won’t arrest me,’ and ‘You don’t know who I am, do you?'” the report states.   MORE