Police officer had child in vehicle at time of suspected DUI crash
A North Las Vegas police officer arrested on DUI charges had a child in his car during a crash, according to an arrest report released Wednesday.
Dwight Kuykendall, 46, faces a felony count of child abuse or neglect and misdemeanor counts of DUI, failing to report an unattended vehicle or property accident, failure of duty upon damaging an unattended vehicle or other property, and failure to maintain travel lanes while driving, court records show.
Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to reports of a vehicle collision at Oso Blanca Road and Farm Road in the northwest Las Vegas Valley on Saturday afternoon, according to the report. Kuykendall was driving a white Jeep and initially left the scene, police said, before returning when officers arrived.
He had “an unsteady gait, slurred speech, the moderate odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage and watery eyes,” according to the report.
Kuykendall failed multiple field sobriety tests before telling officers that he’d walked home after the crash and had two shots, the report stated. Landscaping in a center median was damaged from the crash, but it was unclear if anyone else was injured.
He was taken to Centennial Hills Hospital and later booked at the Clark County Detention Center.
A child was in the back of Kuykendall’s Jeep during the crash, according to the report, although it was not clear what their relationship was.
“Kuykendall stated that he had made some mistakes today and would deal with them,” the report said.
Kuykendall, who has been with the department for 14 years, has been placed on paid administrative leave, police spokesman Alex Cuevas said.
He was released from custody on his own recognizance on Sunday, court records show. He is due to appear in court again on Jan. 12.
Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.
