REVERE – A Suffolk County sheriff’s deputy who has been on the job for 32 years is accused of driving under the influence on his way to serve in the honor guard for a deceased friend.
Suspected drunk driving in uniform
Police said Richard Camargo was in uniform when he struck another driver at the busy Bell Circle intersection on Route 2A in Revere.
“The Commonwealth’s concerns are largely due to the fact that the defendant was on duty as a Suffolk County sheriff when the accident occurred and the OUI arrest occurred. He was also clearly and understandably, as part of his duties, in possession of a firearm. ,” said prosecutor Daniel Moynihan.
Moynihan said Camargo was at a red light when he rolled forward and hit the car in front of him. The other driver said, according to the police report. ‘…we have to call the police. The deputy said no, got into the cruiser and fled the scene.”
The driver later spotted the cruiser in a parking lot and called police, who located Camargo at a funeral home next to the parking lot. “He was like a guard of honor at a wake,” said his lawyer Anthony Paul.
Police said they found an empty six-pack in the cruiser
The officer who responded said Camargo’s eyes were red and he smelled of alcohol. His breath test registered a score of 0.156%, which is twice the legal limit. Police said they found an empty six-pack of Bud Light in his car. His lawyer questioned the test.
“It’s not even a breathalyzer, it’s a portable breathalyzer. They have to be calibrated, they have to be done properly,” Paul said. “That’s an accusation they made there.”
In a statement, the Suffolk Sheriff’s Department called the allegations “incredibly serious” and “out of character for him.” The statement said he had “a previously excellent record”.
Camargo told WBZ TV he had no comment outside of court.
Christina Hager
