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Kent County sergeant sentenced in drunk driving case

Posted at 12:10 PM, Jan 30, 2015
and last updated 2015-01-30 12:12:00-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.–A Sergeant with the Kent County Sheriff’s Department pleaded guilty Friday morning to a charge of Operating While Intoxicated, following an accident in which his vehicle left the road and crashed earlier this month in Kent County.

Sergeant Peter Gerkin appeared in district court in Grand Rapids for a plea hearing. He was in a wheelchair, and his right leg was elevated. According to his attorney, Gerkin’s blood alcohol level was .24 at the time of the crash, three times the legal limit for driving.

That alcohol level qualified the case for prosecution under Michigan’s “Superdrunk” law.

Gerkin was sentenced to 180 days in jail, but the judge suspended the sentence, meaning Gerkin will not do any jail time.

He also received two years probation, and cannot drink alcohol during that time, as well as 100 hours of community service.

Following the hearing, Gerkin and his attorney declined to comment.