Drunken Police Officer Sleeping on the Street Assaults Fellow Officer Who Tried to Wake Him... Fined 5 Million Won

Drunken Police Officer Assaults Police... 5 Million Won Fine
Series of Police Misconduct Reports... "Strict Punishment Policy Maintained"

An active-duty police officer was fined after assaulting a fellow officer who responded to a drunkenness report, after falling asleep on the street while intoxicated.

Photo by Asia Economy DB

On the 20th, Yonhap News reported that Judge Lee Jaehyun of the Suwon District Court Criminal Division 19 sentenced A, a member of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, to a fine of 5 million won on charges of obstruction of official duties. A is accused of being drunk and sleeping on a street in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, around 2:55 a.m. on August 26 last year, and when Police Sergeant B, who responded to a 112 call, woke him up, he uttered abusive language and kicked Sergeant B in the chest. Additionally, A also kicked Officer C multiple times in the waist.

The judge explained the sentencing by stating, "This crime involved the defendant assaulting police officers and obstructing their legitimate official duties, which is a serious offense," but added, "It is difficult to view the degree of obstruction of official duties as very severe, and the fact that the defendant has no prior criminal record is a favorable circumstance."

Meanwhile, reports of misconduct involving police officers assaulting fellow officers continue to emerge. On the 5th, a police officer who assaulted a colleague urging him to go home while intoxicated was fined 7 million won. On the 14th, Police Officer D was booked on charges of drunk driving (violation of the Road Traffic Act) after crashing into a guardrail at the Oryu IC in Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, while driving under the influence. In the early hours of the 3rd, a senior officer from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency was involved in a collision with another vehicle while driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, and was booked by the Seoul Jungbu Police Station, causing social controversy.

In response, Jo Jiho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, bowed his head on the 22nd of last month, saying, "As the head of the Seoul police, I have no face to show the public." He added, "Looking at statistics over the past five years, excluding 2021-2022 when COVID-19 was severe, there have been an average of 10 to 11 violations per month. While mistakes made during work may be tolerated if necessary, I will maintain a policy of strict punishment for violations unrelated to work."