INDIANAPOLIS — The Stinesville reserve officer accused of drunkenly hitting another vehicle last week in Indianapolis told the other people involved in the crash he "didn't do nothing" before he fled from the scene, failing to provide any insurance information, a court document alleges.
A probable cause affidavit for Douglas Rutoskey's arrest also states that he acted belligerently at a bar prior to the crash and needed to be removed by security because he was harassing other patrons.
Rutoskey was driving a marked Stinesville Police Department patrol vehicle when he hit a Ram pickup truck about 1:21 a.m. Nov. 20 in the 2500 block of West Southport Road on Indianapolis' southwest side, according to the affidavit.
The pickup truck's occupants told police they were stopped at a red light at the intersection of U.S. 37 and Southport Road waiting to turn west when their vehicle was hit from behind by a driver later identified as Rutoskey.
Immediately afterward, Rutoskey got out of the patrol vehicle, proclaimed, "I didn't do nothing", then got back in the vehicle and continued west on Southport Road. At no point did he provide insurance information or check on the well-being of the pickup's occupants, the affidavit alleges.
Sometime later, the pickup's occupant found the patrol vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier and abandoned further west on Southport Road.
Indianapolis metro police eventually made contact with Rutoskey at his home, where he was asleep and smelled of alcohol. When officers awoke him, his speech was "very disorganized, slurred, and did not initially make any sense whatsoever," the affidavit reads.
Rutoskey admitted to officers that he drove the patrol vehicle but initially wasn't sure where he had left the keys. He also told police the last drink he had was hours prior to the crash, around 10 p.m.
The results of a blood draw showed Rutoskey's blood alcohol level was 0.164%, well over the legal limit of 0.08%.
Officers noticed Rutoskey had a fresh abrasion on his left elbow and asked him about it, but he told them he didn't know how or when he got it. He also couldn't tell police where he had placed his cell phone.
Further investigation found that Rutoskey had been drinking with friends at Robby's Pub in the 1300 block of West Southport Road before the crash and was removed by security. Witnesses said Rutoskey came into the bar alone and "immediately started harassing and pestering another group of patrons who had been in the bar separate from him."
Police were also told Rutoskey was being "inappropriate" to some of the women among that group of patrons.
Investigators later obtained footage of Rutoskey inside the bar that showed him knocking over chairs and having a heated conversation with a group of people and a bouncer.
Footage showed Rutoskey later drive into a nearby Kroger parking lot, walk around, sit inside for a few minutes and then drive off without headlights activated.
WRTV has repeatedly reached out to the Stinesville Police Department to verify the status of Rutoskey's employment but has not yet heard back.
Rutoskey is facing the following charges:
- Operating a vehicle while intoxicated — endangering a person
- Operating a vehicle with alcohol concentration equivalent to .15 or more
- Leaving the scene of an accident
- Operating a vehicle while intoxicated
He is scheduled to appear for a remote initial hearing Dec. 13 at Marion Superior Court.
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