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NORTH OGDEN — North Ogden Police Chief Brian Eynon was reinstated Tuesday after being on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation into a DUI training from earlier this year.
The chief was placed on leave Feb. 12 while the Utah Department of Public Safety's internal investigation team looked into the matter on behalf of the city, according to a press release from City Manager Jon Call.
The police department conducted a "wet lab" training session in the weeks prior to Eynon's leave, though Call did not provide a specific date. The training involves volunteers drinking alcohol under supervision to reach certain blood-alcohol concentrations before other officers conduct standardized field sobriety tests to "practice identifying signs of impairment," the release says.
"The training should be closely monitored to ensure safety and compliance with legal and ethical standards," Call wrote, adding that the incident underscored "the need for improved oversight in training procedures."
The conclusion of the investigation, according to Call: "We have determined that while Chief Eynon exhibited a lapse in judgment by volunteering to get intoxicated, his intent was good, and this incident does not define his overall commitment and service to our community."
In addition to discipline, Call said Eynon will be refining the policies for future training exercises.
There was no information given about how many officers were involved in the training, the levels of intoxication reached, or what happened to initially spur the internal investigation.
A list of questions were sent to Call, asking everything from the exact date of the training, how many participants were involved, how many volunteers consumed alcohol, what blood-alcohol levels were reached, why no municipal funds were spent on alcohol if it was a police sanctioned training, who purchased the alcohol, what disciplinary actions were Eynon subjected to, and if any other participants received disciplinary action.
Call wrote that city officials "don't plan to provide additional details on the training besides the fact that it was held," and that the release contains "the relevant information on the allegations which were sustained."
Public records requests have been submitted to learn more about the incident.
