DPD Sergeant's Traffic Stop Lied About Drinking: Records Reveal

A former Dallas police sergeant not on duty charged with operating a vehicle under the influence with his kid inside the car misled a sheriff’s deputy regarding the quantity of beer he had drunk prior to driving, as indicated in recently acquired documents examined by him. The Dallas Morning News.

Sergeant Matthew Terry, aged 40, was taken into custody early Friday morning inDelta County, which sits approximately 70 miles northeast of Downtown Dallas. According to documents acquired via a public information request, when a county sheriff's deputy stopped him initially and another officer from the Texas Department of Public Safety arrived as backup during the traffic stop, both reported detecting a strong alcoholic scent emanating from Mr. Terry. This account appears within the arrest warrant affidavit secured last Tuesday.

Terry said in a statement Tuesday that he was advised by legal counsel not to comment. He faces one count of driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, a state jail felony, and is on administrative leave from the Dallas Police Department pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation.

When Terry was arrested, he chose not to offer a voluntary sample for the authorities to assess his blood alcohol level, according to the affidavit. This prompted the state trooper to obtain a warrant for a mandatory blood test.

The test results were not included in the records released to The News . Sgt. Chris Williamson, a DPS spokesperson, said in a statement Tuesday the results were sent to a lab for testing.

Robert Rogers, who serves as the attorney for the Dallas Police Association, mentioned that he is currently handling Terry’s case throughout the ongoing internal affairs investigation.

"He is considered innocent pending further proceedings," Rogers stated regarding Terry.

A Delta County sheriff’s deputy was dispatched after a caller reported a reckless driver traveling north in the southbound lane of Highway 12. The deputy saw an SUV driving the wrong way near the highway’s intersection with West Dallas Avenue before making the traffic stop, the affidavit says.

The driver — identified as Terry — had a “heavy odor of alcohol coming from his breath” and told the deputy he had drunk two beers prior to driving, the affidavit says.

At 12:07 a.m., the trooper was summoned to the scene to help with the traffic stop. According to the affidavit, Terry informed the trooper that he had consumed three beers and also took some medication.

“The officer mentioned that Terry admitted he had deceived the deputy and informed them that he had consumed two beers,” the trooper noted.

The affidavit states that Terry tested positive for intoxication following his participation in a field sobriety test.

Terry was taken to a hospital, where he was “cleared by medical staff,” the trooper wrote in a report included in the records released to The News.

According to the report, the child inside the vehicle is aged between 9 and 11 years old.

After his visit to the hospital, Terry was admitted to the Delta County jail. According to a statement made by Delta County Sheriff Marshall Lynch on Wednesday, Terry was taken into custody late Thursday night and later freed on Friday afternoon after paying a $5,000 bail.

According to state law, driving while intoxicated with a minor passenger is defined as operating a motor vehicle in a public area while impaired, where the passenger is younger than 15. If convicted, this offense may result in a sentence ranging from 180 days to two years in state prison.

Terry has been employed with the Dallas Police Department since September 2006. In 2023, he received the Chief’s Officer of the Year Award during the department’s yearly gala.

Terry has faced several probes throughout his service period with the organization. At the beginning of his term, inquiries upheld claims that he breached the department’s pursuit guidelines, precipitated an avoidable vehicular collision, and neglected to document a detainee’s belongings, as indicated by internal disciplinary documents examined by us. The News.

In early 2022, when the lawsuit reached trial, Terry faced a case in federal court where he was accused of employing excessive force. This accusation came about because he had lethally shot a man who suffered from mental illness during an attempt to apprehend him back in August 2015. It’s worth noting that Terry wasn’t criminally prosecuted concerning this incident. The federal jury deliberated and ruled against Terry during the course of the legal proceedings. had not used excessive force.

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