Sleep to blame in officer-involved collision

The West Alabama Watchman has learned that a Demopolis police officer fell asleep while on patrol early Saturday morning, resulting in a collision with the Confederate Monument in downtown Demopolis, this according to Chief Tommie Reese.

The officer, who has yet to be named, was driving north on Main Street when the cruiser he was driving struck the Confederate Monument near the Demopolis Public Square around 3:30 a.m. The officer was not injured.

The soldier atop the monument was removed by public works officials following the accident.

Reese previously said that an internal investigation revealed that the officer failed to maintain control of his patrol unit resulting in the extensive damage to the monument and the patrol unit causing the patrol unit to be totaled.

The officer was transported to the Bryan Whitfield E.R for a drug screen and later placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard Demopolis Police Department procedure.