A Patagonia deputy marshal has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation into a single-vehicle crash early Wednesday morning in Tucson.
Johnny Tynes, 37, who also works for the Arizona Department of Corrections, was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of felony criminal damage after he drove into a utility pole, destroying it and knocking out power to people living in the area of East 22nd Street and South Fourth Avenue just before 5:30 a.m., said Sgt. Maria Hawke, a spokeswoman for the Tucson Police Department.
The officer on-scene “noticed signs consistent with alcohol intoxication” and initiated a DUI investigation, Hawke said. Depending on the outcome, additional charges could be filed.
Tynes was not injured.
The incident comes as a blow to the tight-knit members of the Patagonia Marshal’s Department.
Tynes arrest “greatly upsets me,” Patagonia Marshal Joe Patterson said.
“If you’re out and impaired, give me a call and I will get you a ride home,” he said. “I would go out any time of the day or night to pick somebody up to take them home safely and not endanger the public. With that being said, I am very opinionated on DUIs. There’s no reason, no excuse. If you think you can get away with risking your life or risking someone else’s life by doing something that stupid, you’ve got another thing coming.
“I’ve talked to Deputy Tynes and he knows exactly how I feel about this situation and I will be taking future actions,” Patterson said.
The TPD investigation is ongoing.
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