Columbus police officer fired after OVI arrest

Sarah Szilagy
·2 min read
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Columbus police officer has been fired after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Columbus Division of Police terminated Priscilla Ide, 35, on March 7, months away from the end of her probationary period. According to documents obtained by NBC4, Ide failed a field sobriety test and breathalyzer test after being pulled over on the highway.

Just before 1 a.m. on March 2, a state trooper pulled Ide over after observing “multiple marked lanes violations” on Interstate 70 eastbound near the Brice Road exit. After she failed a sobriety test and was arrested, Ide’s blood alcohol content was measured at .098, over the legal limit of .08, according to the documents.

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Ide graduated from the Columbus Police Academy in June 2023, according to Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy records. She passed her exam that July and was scheduled to finish her probationary period in July 2024.

“This conduct is a violation of the Division Rules of Conduct and represents a significant lapse in judgement while on probation,” Columbus Police Deputy Chief Nick Knoves wrote in a March 4 letter to Chief Elaine Bryant.

Ide, of Pickerington, was arraigned March 6. Her next court date is scheduled for March 25.

Including Ide, Columbus police has fired five officers for driving under the influence in just over a year. In 2023, officers Trier Knieper, Robbie Whitlow, Tylor Nixon and Sgt. Melvin Romans were arrested, three within days of each other, after being pulled over for drunk driving.

A Franklin County Municipal Court judge cleared Knieper of an OVI charge, but ordered her to pay a $150 fine for driving 100 mph in a 65 mph zone. The same court found Nixon guilty of OVI, and Romans pleaded guilty in Circleville Municipal Court, records showed.

A Fairfield County Municipal Court jury found Whitlow not guilty of OVI. However, he pleaded guilty to a separate lane violation charge and was restricted to limited driving privileges as of October.

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