A Salem police sergeant is no longer employed by the city due to an “administrative action” taken four months after he was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to the agency.
The Salem Police Department declined on Friday to clarify the nature of Sgt. Dustin W. Wann’s exit or whether it was related to his misdemeanor charge in Polk County. He was not employed by the agency as of Tuesday, April 9, according to department spokeswoman Angela Hedrick.
“The City of Salem cannot provide further comment on his departure, nor can comment be made on his pending criminal matter,” Hedrick said in an email..
Wann, 44, is accused of driving drunk in west Salem near the Salemtowne Golf Club on May 27, 2023
The sergeant has pleaded not guilty ahead of a trial scheduled for Aug. 7.
Wann declined to comment. His attorney, Julio Vidrio, could not be reached by email or phone.
Wann went on paid administrative leave from his police job three days after the collision. He was paid about $144,000 annually.
Authorities have refused to confirm whether Wann was involved in a golf cart collision that same day at the club which left a Salem woman with head injuries.
Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton has declined to release a police report about the golf cart incident. He said the report is related to the drunken driving case that is pending.
The Oregon State Police took over the DUI investigation but the agency declined to release its reports. Salem police also declined to release their reports on the golf cart episode.
The crash that triggered the drunk driving investigation occurred around 10:30 p.m. on May 27, 2023, at the intersection of Northwest Brookside and Vick Avenues, near the Salemtowne neighborhood.
Wann was cited by the state police six months later, charged with driving under the influence. That is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of a year in jail and fine of up to $6,250.
This is the second time Wann has been accused of drunken driving while working for Salem police.
In 2013, he was charged in Washington County Circuit Court with driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty but the charge was dropped when he completed requirements for diversion.
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Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
