An Eastern Oregon sheriff has apologized for allegedly drinking and driving over the weekend.
Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan was arrested Friday evening by deputies in Gilliam County. Rowan had committed a “traffic lane violation” while driving east on Interstate 84, according to a statement Monday by the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office.
“I want to sincerely apologize to the people who elected me and place their trust in my leadership,” Rowan said in a public statement after his arrest. “I take full responsibility for the situation surrounding my recent arrest for DUII and understand the seriousness of the matter.”
Details provided by the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office said that Rowan failed a field sobriety test at the scene. The deputy arrested the Umatilla County Sheriff for driving under the influence of intoxicants.
After the deputy drove Rowan to the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office in Arlington, the sheriff blew a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 – more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.
Rowan did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Monday.
Gilliam County’s chief prosecutor told OPB that Rowan’s case is “under review” and that his office does not comment on criminal prosecutions. He said Rowan is slated to appear in court in mid-June.
“Sheriff Rowan will be treated the same as any other individual subject to criminal prosecution,” District Attorney Ryan Rodighiero said.
Rowan joined the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office in 1989, state records show. He’s spent the majority of his career at the department, apart from a decade he spent with the Hermiston Police Department. He was elected Umatilla County sheriff in 2013.
