A Minnesota state trooper was arrested for driving while impaired when he reported for an in-service training at the State Patrol's district office in Duluth on Wednesday.
Trooper Nick Morse of Two Harbors has been placed on investigative leave pending the outcome of criminal and internal investigations.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Morse drove his squad car from home in Two Harbors and arrived at the training at 8:10 a.m. At the district office, a supervisor noticed the odor of alcohol coming from Morse. Sobriety tests were administered and Morse was arrested by a State Patrol lieutenant.
Morse was transported to the St. Louis County Jail, where he submitted to a breath test. The test result registered an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, which is the legal limit in Minnesota. Morse was then booked into the St. Louis County Jail and issued a citation for fourth-degree DUI.
Morse has been a state trooper since April 2009. He has not previously been disciplined nor has he received commendations as a trooper.
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"State troopers are dedicated to taking impaired drivers off the road, which makes this incident even more egregious and unacceptable," Col. Kevin Daly, chief of the State Patrol, said in a prepared statement. "We don't tolerate impaired driving, regardless of who is behind the wheel."
