By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A 47-year-old man was charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Washington, D.C., police officer after a December crash.
• Prosecutors said his blood-alcohol concentration was twice the legal limit of 0.08 at the time of the collision.
• Officer Terry Bennett, 32, was struck while assisting a stranded motorist on Interstate 695.
• Evidence presented in court included video showing the defendant driving erratically before the crash.
• A judge ordered the suspect held without bond; a further court date is set for May.
WASHINGTON, DC — A Washington, D.C., man charged with second-degree murder in the December death of a Metropolitan Police Department officer had a blood-alcohol concentration twice the legal limit at the time of the collision, authorities said Tuesday.
Jerrold Coates, 47, of Northwest D.C., is accused of striking Officer Terry Bennett, 32, as Bennett was assisting a stranded motorist on Interstate 695 on Dec. 23. Bennett later died from injuries sustained in the crash, court records show.
Prosecutors told a D.C. Superior Court judge during a probable cause hearing that evidence, including video, showed Coates’ vehicle swerving through traffic at high speeds before the collision.
A blood test taken after the crash revealed Coates’ blood-alcohol level was approximately double the District’s .08 legal limit for driving, officials said. Coates also allegedly admitted to consuming alcohol and marijuana prior to getting behind the wheel.
Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Coates held without bond. He is scheduled to appear again in court in May as the case moves toward indictment and potential trial.