UPDATE: (1:20 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, 2023): We’re learning more details about the arrest of an off-duty Charleston firefighter.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court, Jonathan Debolt, 31, of Charleston has been charged with DUI – first offense following an overnight traffic stop that happened early Saturday. Charleston Fire Department Chief Chad Jones confirms Debolt is a firefighter for CFD.
The criminal complaint states authorities were dispatched to a scene in Charleston of a vehicle allegedly leaving the scene of an incident. Police say the caller told authorities the vehicle drove through two fences into a baseball field.
Police say when they found the vehicle for a traffic stop, they could “smell the odor of alcohol” and said the driver “appeared to be disoriented.”
According to the complaint, police say the driver failed the field sobriety tests, and when given the PBT test, blew a 0.185.
The complaint says the driver, identified as Debolt, was taken to a hospital due to injuries from the crash were he agreed to a intoximeter test. Police say the test came back with a 0.122 result.
Charleston Fire Captain David Hodges told WOWK 13 News on Saturday they were reviewing a “personnel matter” regarding the incident.
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The Charleston Fire Department confirms an off-duty firefighter has been arrested.
According to Charleston Fire Captain David Hodges, the incident happened overnight, April 21-22, 2022. He says the incident is a “personnel matter that is being reviewed by the Department.”
This is a developing story, and WOWK 13 News will update this article as more information becomes available.