COLUMBUS (Ken Hines) -- A
police officer will spend three days at a mental health facility after he
allegedly hit a car while driving drunk before passing out behind the wheel.
Authorities charged Columbus Division of Police Sergeant Joshua Wagner with OVI
after his colleagues found him asleep in his car at King and Neil Avenues on
Monday night. Wagner, an 11-year veteran of the department, failed sobriety
tests, was unsure of his location, and urinated on himself in the presence of
officers before he was arrested, according to investigators. Wagner, 32, was
ordered to perform community service last year after being arrested on another
OVI charge. His lawyer told ABC 6/FOX 28 that arrest came while Wagner was
dealing with relationship problems, while Sunday's incident occurred days after
the officer was assaulted. "I'd say he's under a lot of emotional stress,
and unfortunately he may have chosen the wrong path to deal with that,"
attorney Mark Collins said. Collins also stated that his client was shot in the
face while on duty years ago, and continues to struggle with the resulting
effects. In addition to the latest OVI count, Wagner faces a gun charge in
connection with a loaded service weapon found inside his glove compartment. The
officer was transferred from the Franklin County Jail to an undisclosed mental
health facility on Wednesday for an evaluation.
