Wichita cop jailed on suspicion of drunken driving left casino before arrest: KHP
A Wichita police officer has been moved to desk duty after he was spotted driving away from the Kansas Star Casino while drunk, according to law enforcement reports.
The Wichita Police Department said Monday that Officer Cory Michael Masterson, a 12-year agency veteran, had been arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence following his arrest early Monday by the Kansas Highway Patrol. He was also booked for improper driving on a laned roadway, jail records show.
Highway patrol Capt. John Lehnherr told The Eagle that the KHP received a report about a possible drunken driver leaving the Sumner County-based casino around 1 a.m. Monday. A trooper found the vehicle and stopped it at 1:25 a.m. for a minor traffic infraction on the Kansas Turnpike, at the 47th Street South interchange in south Wichita.
Lehnherr said Masterson “showed signs of intoxication and impairment” when he interacted with the trooper.
He was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail shortly after.
Lehnherr said once KHP’s report on the incident is complete, it will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s office will decide whether to file criminal charges.
Wichita police spokesman Officer Charley Davidson said Monday by email that Masterson was moved to an administrative assignment following his arrest. He previously had been assigned to the agency’s field services division and was apart of the Patrol East Bureau as recently as this summer, according to police records previously provided to The Eagle. He is a commissioned officer.
Davison did not answer a question asking what Masterson’s new job entails.
Masterson was off duty when he was arrested, police said.
“The case is being investigated by KHP, and an internal review will take place by the WPD,” Davidson’s email said. The department released no other information Monday.
Driving under the influence is a misdemeanor crime.
Masterson’s arrest comes as law enforcement agencies in the area put extra cops on the streets leading up to and after the Thanksgiving holiday to catch drunken and drug-impaired drivers. The extra enforcement campaign, “Thanksgiving Safe Arrival,” runs through Nov. 29.
More than 200 drivers suspected of DUI are arrested in Kansas each week, police said in announcing their participation in the campaign last week.
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 1:07 PM.
