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Sandy •Roy Healy can't be a police officer for a while, but he's still thankful he was convicted of impaired driving.
Healy said his arrest and court-required counseling turned around his life. He said he hasn't had a drink since his arrest on Oct. 7, 2011.
"I can truly see the hand of God in my life based on the events of Oct. 7, 2011," Healy told the Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council on Monday.
Healy was one of nine peace officers the council booted or disciplined at its quarterly meeting at the state police academy. Healy received an 18-month suspension of his police certification.
Healy, 40, attended the meeting to explain what happened, though he did not ask for leniency. In the fall of 2011, Healy, then a certified police officer who was unemployed at the time, was in the midst of a divorce. He bought a bottle of vodka, parked in a church parking lot, and drank until he passed out. The car was running to keep the air conditioning operating, Healy said.
A Taylorsville police officer found Healy and arrested him. Healy pleaded guilty to impaired driving, a misdemeanor. He received a year of probation and a $1,340 fine, according to court records.
Davis County Sheriff's deputy Phillip A. Rogers received a one-year suspension. According to a synopsis provided to the council, Rogers wasn't getting along with another deputy and began sending that deputy anonymous text messages falsely claiming the deputy's wife was having an affair. Rogers resigned from the sheriff's office in May.
While Healy and Rogers can reapply to have their certifications renewed after the suspensions, few officers do so. Council data has shown the majority of officers who have certification suspended do not return to law enforcement.
Three peace officers had their certifications revoked for lying. Joshua Kim Lever was a Draper police officer who was found to have lied when he said he missed work because he was sick and went to the doctor, according to a synopsis provided to the council.
Shayne Bolte, then of the Granite School District Police Department, was placed on leave by the department. Then his police car suffered damage as it sat in his driveway. Bolte filed a police report saying someone had vandalized the car and then was uncooperative with investigators, according to the synopsis.
And Marvin Scott Greene, of the Unified Police Department, was off duty when he reported he fired at an armed suspect outside his home. Police arrived to investigate but couldn't find any shell casings. Greene eventually admitted he didn't shoot at anyone.
Twitter: @natecarlisle —
Law officers disciplined
The Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council also took these actions on Monday:
John E. Halacy, Weber County Sheriff's Office, received a three-year suspension for assault and public intoxication.
Jason R. Sorenson, Utah Department of Corrections, received an 18-month suspension for wanton destruction of protected wildlife.
Two other Department of Corrections personnel received letters of caution for disorderly conduct.