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Cochise County
Sheriff Larry Dever
A northern Arizona sheriff who died after losing control of his pickup truck last month and rolling it, was legally drunk and had a blood-alcohol level of .291, more than three times the state's legal limit, an autopsy report released Monday said.
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever was driving along a gravel road near Williams, Ariz., on Sept. 18 to meet family members for a camping and hunting trip when the accident occurred, NBC station KVOA reported. Investigators said Dever was going 62 mph on the unmarked Forest Service road.
The autopsy report also showed that Dever was not wearing his seat belt, and authorities say there was beer and liquor in his truck.
On Friday, Cochise County authorities said Dever had alcohol in his system, but the exact blood-alcohol content wasn't released until Monday.
Dever was a 34-year veteran of Cochise County law enforcement. He was elected as sheriff in 1996.
On Friday, the Cochise County Sheriff's Office released a statement saying the Dever family "expressed great sorrow at the findings," according to a report on the Arizona Republic's website. The statement said Dever was "reeling from the stress and pressure" of the recent loss of his 86-year-old mother, and the scheduled deployment of one of his six sons to Afghanistan.
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to Ed-NavDoc
I know you didn't say he was perfect. You said I found him to be a decent, principled, and caring man and I called that B.S. Then you said "Your screen name obviously is a good match to your personality." Actually it was the name of my old dog and I'm damned proud of it. The last resort of a man losing an argument is to launch a personal attack, so I must say "I can't begin to tell you how little that means to me coming from you."
Please accept my apologies for getting carried away regarding your screen name. That was wrong on my part. I do however stand by my other statements regarding Sheriff Dever. To state that this happened because he was Republican still had nothing to do with things. Are you of the opinion that things would have been different if he was a Democrat. If so, I can't buy that. As I said either way, he was human and he he has paid the ultimate price for his mistake. I knew the man over a time period spanning about 15 years.
Always good to see the only harm came to the drunk driver. Sad as it was.
So sad for the family that he had to die. If he had worn his seat belt and survived he would have been humiliated and probably would have lost his job. It is another good example of police officers who abuse their authority and drink and drive. He probably was a heavy drinker and not the first time he drank and drove. All these police officers that drink and drive on their days off and use prescrition drugs on the job where is the accountability. They set up these DUI check points bust hundreds of people and then drink and drive on their days off. All the departments should test their officers every month all the way up to the Sheriff and Chief.
Joe, just for the record Sheriff Dever was on vacation at a family retreat and last I heard, the accident occurred on privately owned land. That in no way excuses the fact that he had no business driving and drinking. However, neither you nor I know that the man ever drove and drank while on duty. Nor do we know that he was in fact a heavy drinker as you say. No trying to argue. Just bringing up another point of view. And by the way, in many police and sheriff departments in this state, they do routinely test their officers and deputies on a regular basis, as you said, all the way up to Sheriff and Chief. I can personally attest to this as to work for many years in a rural hospital in Southeast AZ and I was the one processing the specimens.
So sad that he had to die this way rest in peace obviously you were a troubled man. Another example of a police officer who drinks and drives off duty. Here in AZ they set up these DUI check points bust hundreds of people, then they the officers drink and drive on their days off. Where is the equality? It is a fact that a large percentage of officers drink and drive off duty. Also what about the prescription drug use on the job by the officers. Where is the accountability for that. All police departments should be testing every officer every month all the way up to the Sheriff and Chief. Hair testing that goes back 6 months. You will never see a story on this in the media or the testing. The Police are above the law, we the public are not?
People complaining about how he was a Sheriff and it happened need to smoke a pole. He didn't hurt anyone but himself due to Freedom & thats what his son would gladly defend with his life for his dad to do. Sucks he died, im sure he regrets it but living a life that others would love to force you to live or living free sometimes ends with the ulitmate price paid for by yourself. I'm glad no one else was hurt but still would of been better if he just wrecked, wasn't injured & brushed it off on his own stupidity & didn't do it again & learned that wasting what he paid for the vehicle was enough of a wake up call.
Hey monkey? If you think freedom is the right to abuse a dangerous drug like alcohol and then get behind the wheel of a car and drive down a public road, regardless of whether or not your law enforcement or not, and place innocent people at risk, and then compound your ignorance by claiming an honorable soldier would "defend" such a criminal act, then you sir have no clue what honor or integrity mean, as you have none yourself. You sir are just a nother selfish toad.
Freedom is exactly whatever you don't want happening as much as whatever you would force another to not do. Freedom entails all sides of a coin and anything not a part of it. :) to bad for u... "monkey"
No, freedom means being able to live without fear of selfish monkeys like you abusing drugs and endangering innocent people.
Wrong again. 'If one is free they are free from living by forced means'. Which means We all are in fact free "to live without fear of selfish monkeys like you" That wish to abuse freedom and call it a drug "and endangering innocent people."
Why is it the first thing they attempt to do in this article is rationalize his drug abuse?
drunk with a .291 bac driving and going to meet family and friends-----to go hunting?
freaking dirtbag
It sounds to me like the Sheriff's Department is trying to make excuses for this drunk by mentioning his mother's passing and son's deployment. I'm sure he was having a difficult time, but that is NO EXCUSE for drinking and driving...or for speeding and not wearing your seatbelt. This crash was 100% avoidable. My prayers go out to his friends and family. Thank God this drunk didn't kill and innocent victim!!!
he was killed in northern arizona but he was not a sherriff in northern AZ-he was a sherriff in southern AZ right on the Mexican border.I just wanted to correct this mis-information
Science has been slow to create a standardized test ; which works to define a level of intoxication where police can state with some degree of certainty that the user is affected by Marijuana. That is one of the major reasons that marijuana is not likely to become legalize in the short term.
The average person on the street can easily tell when someone has recently used marijuana, but as to whether he has used it to the point stupefaction - thats harder to prove. So the standard falls to the default - namely, if they have to tow the car or sweep up the body with broom and waste basket - then he was drugged out.
too late for prevention at that point.
Arpaio, Babeu, Dever. Buncha rednecks. It's time to take back our state from these bad eggs. Arizona GOP politics. As dirty as it comes. Jan Brewer- Ugly inside and out. Mecham, Symington, Pearse, JT Ready. The list just goes on an on.
Why why why couldn't it have been Joe Arpaio?? The state of Arizona would have instantly become a better place.
It was the illegal mexicans' fault. He was probably just doing some "field research" on their customary behavior...
Glad to hear he died ! Cops know better but they still break the laws they are to uphold .256 now thats drunk and driving a pickup at 62mph on a forest road is just plain arrogant and on the way to a camping and hunting trip. Glad he killed himself before he went hunting and possibly killing another innocent victim. No matter how much cops drink and drive they are above the law that they are to enforce on other people but they never get punished or serve time in jail, this needs to change. Cops need to be held accountable for their own negligence.