The incident occurred Saturday morning near Goderich, on the shores of Lake Huron. An OPP officer was patrolling Bluewater Highway at about 7:45 a.m. when he pulled in behind a southbound vehicle.
OPP Cst. Joanna Van Mierlo said the officer noticed the driver of the other vehicle "swerving," and pulled him over.
The officer could "smell the odour of alcohol coming from the driver, who had been drinking the night before," Van Mierlo said in a press release.
The officer asked the driver to provide a roadside breath sample. The man was then taken to the Huron OPP detachment, where he provided two additional breath samples.
The driver registered more than two times the legal limit, said Van Mierlo.
Cst. Paul Deenen, 43, of Mississauga, is charged with excess blood alcohol. He'll return to Goderich Court Oct. 6.
He was off-duty at the time of the incident.
Deenen, who works out of 12 Division in Mississauga, is a 19-year veteran of the force.
He has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of his court case and has also had his driver's licence suspended for 90 days.
Peel Sgt. Zahir Shah said Peel's Professional Standards Bureau is conducting its own investigation.
lrosella@mississauga.net
