Deputy charged with DWI
By Lee Williams
Published in News on January 30, 2007 1:52 PM
PINETOP -- The second Wayne County sheriff's deputy in just four months was asked to turn in his badge today after he wrecked his vehicle late Monday and was allegedly found to be under the influence of alcohol.
Former Deputy William Roscoe Young, 44, of Wilson, lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang, while traveling on N.C. 42 in Edgecombe County near St. Louis Road, at about 10:40 p.m., said Lt. Everett Clendenin, a Highway Patrol spokesman.
"He went left of center, struck a tree and landed in a ditch," Clendenin said.
The one-vehicle accident caused minor damage to Young's Mustang. Young was not injured in the accident, Clendenin said.
The trooper who investigated the accident detected a hint of alcohol, and administered a breathalyzer to test Young's blood alcohol level.
"He blew a .13," Clendenin said. "He was arrested at the scene."
He was taken to the Edgecombe County Jail for booking. He was released on his own recognizance, officials said.
Clendenin said the deputy was not in uniform and was not driving a county-issued vehicle at the time. He was unsure where Young was coming from before the accident occurred.
"He did have an issued service weapon," Clendenin said. That weapon was turned over to his superiors, he added.
The incident comes just four months after former Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy Matt Sasser was charged with drunken driving by a Highway Patrol officer in Johnston County.
Sasser was off-duty, but still in uniform, and was driving his patrol car outside the county without permission at the time of his crash Sept. 12.
Sasser was fired immediately after the incident. However, Sasser pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of unsafe movement and will be allowed to resume his law enforcement career.
On Sept. 11, Trooper Darian Smith, assigned to the Wilson Highway Patrol, was charged with DWI after he wrecked his motorcycle on Hare Road in Wayne County.
Smith, a Wayne County resident, still awaits his day in court.
Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders said he was deeply disturbed when he learned of Young's DWI arrest. He called the incident "embarrassing."
"I am very embarrassed," Winders said. "It's embarrassing to us. It puts me in an embarrassing situation. He's representing me."
Young served with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department's Warrant Division. He had been with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for about three years before his termination, Winders said.
Young previously served with the Wilson County Sheriff's Department for almost 11 years before joining the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, Winders said.
Winders said Young was a good deputy, but his DWI arrest gave him no choice but to take immediate action.
"I considered him a good friend, and he's done a good job," Winders said. "Unfortunately, they know what I have to do, and they must face the consequences."
Winders acknowledged the pressures and everyday stresses law enforcement officers face, but added that he could not condone Young's actions.
"This job does have a lot of pressures," Winders said. "It's a tough job. It has financial problems in it because you are not making a lot of money, but that's not an excuse to be out here drinking."
Winders said he did not sleep a wink after he learned the news about 1 a.m. today, but he said his department will find a way to move on despite the troubling news.
"We will just move forward," he said. "That's all we can do."