Photo: Philadelphia police officer suspected of off-duty DUI identified
NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Authorities have identified the Philadelphia Police officer facing DUI charges after they say he crashed into several parked cars in North Philadelphia.
40-year-old Officer Nicholas Harper was off-duty at 6 a.m. Wednesday, when the incident happened.
Officials say Harper, who is assigned to the 22nd district, hit at least four parked cars in the 1500 block of North Street.
One resident, who did not want to be identified, said he was asleep when he was awakened by the sound of "Boom, boom, boom!"
"Then a huge one. That was the Honda Civic hitting the wall," the man said.
A Honda Civic, one of the four cars struck, was slammed up against a row home on the block. A motorcycle was also hit.
The resident says he ran out to confront the driver who appeared to be highly intoxicated.
"He couldn't stand up. he was ready to fall over. He was drunk," the resident said.
The resident says the off-duty officer who was driving a Jeep tried to say it wasn't his fault.
"He said that a truck or a car hit him and pushed him into everything," the resident said. "I was like, 'Yo, there's no damage on the back of your car, nothing hit you, like you're lying, you're drunk.'"
Then the resident says he and others at the scene got spooked when they noticed the driver had a gun.
The 40-year-old cop was taken into custody by on-duty officers who took him in for a breathalyzer:
"The breathalyzer was administered and the results were .198 blood alcohol content from the breathalyzer. That's more than twice the legal limit. The legal limit is .08," Philadelphia Police Captain Sekou Kilibrew said.
Residents on the block were dismayed over who the alleged driver turned out to be.
"It's sad, he's supposed to be a police officer and protecting the city," resident Amir Head said.
The officer, who has been with the department for four years, has been placed on administrative duty while charges against him are being reviewed by the district attorney's office.
----------
Send a breaking news alert
Report a correction or typo
Learn more about the 6abc apps
