Panel votes to revoke officer’s certification

A state committee voted 6-5 Thursday to recommended revoking the police certification of an ex-Portland police sergeant who resigned in lieu of being fired for driving drunk on duty and then lying about it to supervisors.

Richard Braskett attended the hearing and in letters to the board said he was seeking some leniency because he’s undergone treatment for his alcohol addiction and is attending Clark College with the hope of becoming a clinical social worker to counsel other emergency responders who face similar problems.

“I’m an alcoholic and I screwed up,” Braskett told The Oregonian/OregonLive. He doesn’t plan to serve as a police officer again, but said he’s worried that losing his police certification could hamper his efforts to become a social worker.

Braskett, 47, worked almost 22 years for the Police Bureau before he resigned last year.

The internal investigation began in 2015. When Braskett responded to a call to help other officers, they noticed Braskett had slurred speech, watery eyes and alcohol on his breath, according to reports from Portland police and the state Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, Oregon’s police certification agency. Supervisors were alerted, and Braskett denied being under the influence of alcohol.

He was taken to a lab for a breathalyzer test, which was done several hours after the officers first observed him. The result was an .08 blood-alcohol content. Police believed that the reading would have been substantially higher at the start of his patrol shift, perhaps near .17, according to bureau reports.

Portland’s Police Review Board recommended Braskett’s termination, and then-Chief Larry O’Dea agreed. Braskett resigned before he was fired.

The state police certification agency learned of Braskett’s resignation in June 2016.

“By being on duty, in uniform, driving a marked unit, after knowingly drinking prior to going on shift, Braskett failed in his fundamental duty to protect and serve the public by putting them at risk with his behavior,” wrote Katrina Robson, an investigator with the state agency. “Braskett also put himself in harm’s way by being intoxicated.”