In an unexpected twist of fate, Chasen Bradford, a 34-year-old Henderson Police Department graduate, trades in his freshly minted badge for a problematic mug shot only a day following his completion of the police academy. It was mere 24 hours after his triumphant exit from the police academy on 21st March that Bradford’s questionable actions overshadowed his accomplishment, taking a turn from the usual graduation celebrations to a much more regrettable trajectory.
On the fateful night of last Friday, according to his arrest report, Bradford was reported drunk behind the wheel of a grey Ford pickup, the complaint called in by a sharp-eyed female resident of Henderson. The concerned lady had contacted 911 at 10:20 PM, describing Bradford’s erratically maneuvered truck as it swerved haphazardly across the road, causing damage by slamming into medians while jarringly mounting curbs.
When Bradford’s vehicle was eventually intercepted by an officer, the perceived scent of alcohol permeating from the truck caught his attention, as stated in his report. The officer noted obvious signs of impaired driving during Bradford’s sobriety test, including his struggle with maintaining balance on one foot.
Bradford’s subsequent breathalyzer test underpinned the officer’s suspicions — the reading of 0.104 was over a quarter above Nevada’s permissible blood alcohol limit of 0.08. Bradford started off by initially downplaying the quantity of his alcohol consumption, claiming he had only imbibed a couple of beers. However, he later conceded that he had indulged in ‘five or six’ drinks throughout the day.
The Henderson Police Academy graduate found himself stripped of his liberty upon his arrest, booked into the Henderson Detention Center. Subsequent breathalyzer tests taken here revealed readings of .094 and .098. Bradford’s graduation, which should have brought him the title of probationary officer and taken place amidst the rejoice of his 14 batchmates, turned out to be short lived.
The law enforcement community showed little leniency towards the new graduate. Following Bradford’s arrest on misdemeanor DUI charges and his $2,000 cash bond bail release, he faced further punitive action: termination from his duty. The Henderson Police Chief justified the decision, expressing zero tolerance towards such negligent and irresponsible acts that endanger their community, in a statement on the department’s Facebook page.
Bradford, previously a Major League Baseball player from 2017 to 2019 with the New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners, had envisioned a subsequent career in law enforcement after hanging up his cleats. The former MLB player who boasts an illustrious record of seven wins, no losses, and an impressive earned run average of 3.89, finds himself bearing the brunt of this self-inflicted loss.
As part of his bond terms, Bradford is now prohibited from indulging in alcohol, controlled substances, or marijuana, in addition to avoiding subsequent arrest or any criminal citations. He awaits his arraignment scheduled for April 22 in the Henderson Municipal Court. His tale serves as a somber reminder that no one, not even those entrusted to safeguard the law, are immune to its indisputable reach once crossed.
