NEW ORLEANS -- The stakes just got higher for a New Orleans police officer arrested last year for DWI.
David Ogozalek had been facing a DWI charge in traffic court and simple battery charge in municipal court. Now the state attorney general’s office has taken over the case and bumped both charges up to state court. The city attorney’s office bowed out earlier this month because the alleged battery was against a fellow officer.
Records show that Ogozalek was pulled over in August 2009 near his Uptown home when officers spotted him driving erratically. The officers described Ogozalek as stumbling, cursing and smelling of alcohol. The battery charge was lodged when he allegedly spit on one of the officers.
Internal police records show that Ogozalek refused a breath test, but later registered more than a .2 blood alcohol level on a chemical test.
Ogozalek, who was reassigned to desk duty and had his driver’s license suspended, is scheduled for arraignment on the two state misdemeanors.
His attorney could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
