State police Sgt. Todd Girouard on restricted duty following off-duty drunken driving arrest in West Brookfield
A state police sergeant accused of drunken driving can return to work but has been placed on restricted duty, a state police spokesman said Wednesday.
Todd Girouard, 50, was arrested about 1:15 a.m. Sunday in the driveway of a West Brookfield home he had been sharing with his wife and children until April, according to court documents.
West Brookfield police, who were investigating a report of someone in the yard at the home, said the off-duty sergeant was behind the wheel of his vehicle and appeared to be asleep, according to a police report filed with court records. He was difficult to rouse but eventually awakened, and officers determined he was intoxicated, the report states.
Girouard was arraigned Monday in Western Worcester District Court in Spencer on charges of drunken driving and having an open container of alcohol (Tito's Handmade Vodka) inside his car. He was released on personal recognizance and is due back in court in November.
Update: In a bench trial before Judge Timothy Bibaud, on May 3, 2023, Girouard was found not guilty of drunken driving.
As a result of the arrest, the state police conducted a hearing to determine whether Girouard would be allowed to return to work. At that hearing on Tuesday, his superiors decided he would be placed on restricted duty, essentially assigning him to an administrative role, the spokesman said.
Troopers on restricted duty do not carry their guns, badges and state police identification. They are not allowed to drive cruisers.
Supervisors collected Girouard's cruiser and other state police gear, along with personal guns, on the morning of his arrest, according to state police.
Because he refused to take a chemical breath test, Girouard was told his driver's license would be suspended for 180 days.
Troopers typically remain on restricted duty until the outcome of their court cases.
More: Off-duty Trooper Todd Girouard charged with drunken driving in West Brookfield
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: State police Sgt. Todd Girouard on restricted duty after off-duty DUI arrest in West Brookfield
