Drunk Driver Kills Cop Last Day Before Retirement
Sergeant David Elahi was killed by a drunk driver.
Early Sunday morning a DUI driver struck Sterlington Police Department Sergeant David Elahi shortly after 4:30 AM. Sterlington was on a traffic stop with another vehicle when he was struck by the DUI driver. Our sources tell us that Sergeant Elahi was working his last shift before retirement, and had had planned on starting a new career in real estate.
Two other officers were also injured in the collision with the DUI driver, and those officers have been released from the hospital.
I want to ask all of the other officers who read this page; aren’t you tired of drunk drivers killing our brothers and sisters? Sergeant David Elahi is the fourth officer to be killed by a DUI driver in the past month alone. Despite this, many officers continue to avoid DUI arrests.
We know that there’s a lot of excessive paperwork. Most jurisdictions burden officers with hours of additional paperwork and processes for any DUI arrest. That’s not even counting the police officers who need to call a judge in the middle of the night to apply for a blood draw warrant.
DUIs generally take hours. During that time, many agencies are slammed with calls and understaffed. Nobody wants to be the guy who gets a DUI arrest, and then leaves their shift partners stuck handling all of their calls. Nobody want their supervisor breathing down their neck to get back on the street to handle calls.
It’s so much easier just to not stop the car that didn’t stop at a stop sign, or the driver who you do stop and talks to you without slurring even though you smell alcohol. We know that most DUI drivers make it home safe, but we also know that some of them kill people. If your department has a problem with you taking the time to arrest a drunk driver, show them how many officers have been killed by these drunks.
Maybe you don’t feel comfortable slogging through the DUI process. You can at least try. If you do a poor job, then maybe they will win in court, but you got them off the road and still sent a message that driving drunk will result in an arrest and legal/tow fees.
Next time you stop someone who’s been drinking, take the time to investigate. We don’t need a fifth officer to die this month because of a drunk driver, and we don’t need anybody else to lose their loved ones.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Sergeant David Elahi.
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Jamie Jones
Deepest sympathy to his family, and the entire police force.
Evelyn Impellizeri
My heart breaks for your family Sgt., even though I don’t know you, I do. My son is also a Sgt. In the police department nearing retirement, so I can relate very closely to the pain your family fells.
Know that I am praying for your family, so that they may find strength to get through these next few days, months and years….Rest in Peace….
Sgt DH
It’s a shame the DUI process in the US is so long and time consuming. In the UK it is very quick for us and we don’t need a warrant for bloods. They blow on the machine and that’s the result if they refuse they are charged and go to court automatically. Anyway my thoughts are with Sgt Elahi’s friend and family, and to all LEOs in the US from us over the pond keep strong and keep doing a great job
Belkis
RIP. Sorry to hear this.
Jake
Why are our politicians concerned about guns when driver’s kill more people? It’s nuts and easy target should not be the answer but it is. If you want to stop people from dying, made it harder too drive with zero tolerance for DUIs. Enough is enough.
Turtle
I don’t believe that it’s so much that officers don’t make DWI arrests. The problem is our courts not willing to convict DWI defendants. Most are either thrown out or plead down to a lesser charge. There’s no threat of punishment to deter ppl from drinking and driving.
Donna
I couldn’t agree with you more! The guy who killed my only daughter spent a total of 90 days in jail for vehicular homicide and 3 count of vehicular assault! He was almost 3 times the BAC! Did I mention his Uncle plays golf with the lawyer & the Judge? Zero tolerance is the only way to stop this! God Bless this family!
Sbedal
You are so right. It’s not the officers not wanting to pursue dwi’s its when they get to court some not all judges are on the same page, then look at legislation and state representatives. The list goes on and on. My heart goes to the officers family who not only have to deal with their loss of a loved one but, then to have a long drawn out trail to prove the dwi subject guilty. When I read the article it makes officers sound bad to some degree and that’s just not so.
Paula
Praying for officer Elahi’s family & friends. Thank you sir for your service and your great sacrifice!!???? I’m not sure if it’s so much the paper works as it is before the officers have completed said paper work the drunk is already out of jail. Kinda seems pointless. We need harder punishment and laws that are enforced. When these criminals get a slap on the hand rather it’s DUI, robbery, theft or whatever the charge it does NOT stop the crime they are back at it the next day. The numbers of repeat offenders is through the roof. Where does this stop?!
Faith Weinbaum
DUIers almost ALWAYS do it again unless they get cuffed and the paperwork is done….they just don’t get it until then AND that’s still no guarantee! Do it and save someone’s life! Bet this guy has been let go before. What a stinking preventable shame!
Charlie Hamilton
God bless the family! I’m retired Law Enforcement and have 2 sons in Law Enforcemt nearing retirement. We know what it’s like and how the courts in certain areas handle DUI ‘S . God bless our officers who put their lives on the line everyday !
Sharen valles
Lock him up and throw away the key. This is horrific!
Angela lunsford
My heart goes out to the family and his fellow officers. I am not a cop but do work with intoxicated people every single shift that I work. A drunk will say almost anything to get out of going to jail–they have told me so. They are quick to say they are going to kill themselves or simply that they are suicidal just so the officer will take them to the nearest hospital with a psychiatric facility. I know. They are brought to where I work all the time. Some of them think it’s funny that they got out of going to jail. Most of them have done this many times, and have never attempted suicide. Years of drinking and driving drunk and saying they are suicidal, and never once attempt it. Please take the time to do the arrest and save another officer, or even someone’s child, and use the psychiatric facilities for someone who truly needs it. I have a daughter who was hit by a drunk driver with a cop sitting next to her at a traffic light. She had injuries from it but thanks to God she was not in bad shape or killed. They choose to take that drink and then drive. Hold them accountable for it. Take them to jail, not the ER.
JULIE
My prayers to the officer family coworkers r.i.p sgt.this saddends me when drunk drivers get away with so much and they get so many slaps on the wrists pay thousands in fines and do it again..lock him up throw away the key. BLUE LIVES MATTER..
Bill Anderson
What state did this tragedy take place in?
Haroon Chaudhry
Louisiana. He was my cousin and my heart weeps.
Fiona A.
In NSW Australia (and all the other Australian states, as far as I know ) blood and urine testing is mandatory for all drivers involved in an injury-causing MVA. Random breath testing of any dtiver has been available since 17 December 1972 in NSW, with initial reading of 0.08mmol, but reduce a few years later to 0.05. 0.00 zero limits apply to new dtivers, and 0.02 to special class dtivers, such as buses. Random drug testing via saliva/tongue swab has been available for the past 2 years. The courts have set penalties, with upper and lower penalty limits, depending on intoxication range and whether it is a first or subsequent offence. Penalties include mandatory license disqualification periods. Everyone in Australia knows that agreeing to these are part of the privilege of having a driver’s license and the road toll, deaths and injuries have decreased dramatically as a result of the initiative.
It is truly tragic that someone dedicated to serving his community is killed in this manner. May he Rest In Peace and may the rights of the Community he served become more important than the individual rights asserted by lawbreakers.
Katrina Dolin
My prayers go out to the family. I’m sorry for your loss! My son is a police officer in K.C. and I pray for him all the time! I think the drunk driver should have to pay for what he did! I jt know that don’t bring back your husband and I’m so sorry for that!
Lourdes Woodward
I am deeply sorry for the loss. My prayers are with his family at home and his blue family. While some departments do work that way, not all them do that. What bothers me most is that sometimes it takes 3-4 years to go to trial and then by then that person has been arrested more times for driving under the influence. I can’t tell you how many times my husband ha arrayed someone that has been duo for the 5-8 time. It saddens me to see that some of these offenders never learn. My sister worked as a probation officer and Kerr county had stiffer penalties than Bexar county. Something needs to be done because I am so tired of seeing innocent lives destroyed. Rip sir!
Mary Kelley
My heart goes out to the officers family, as well as the other officers, EMTs, and anyone involved and the tragic death of that officer that evening. I lost my fifteen-year-old daughter just a little over a year ago to a drunk driver here in Florida. As a result I am a volunteer with MADD. I agree with the article above officers must proceed with the protocol all the way through for a drunk driver too many lives are being lost due to Drunk Driving. We do need stronger laws in some states more than others. Florida being one of those states we need much stronger laws for drunk drivers. May God bless this officer’s family and may He rest in peace.
Linda Ward
People who are arrested for DUI should have his driving privileges taken away for a year. After that, he should be able to drive to and from work only..not where liquor is served. After that, he should not be able to drive after having ANY LIQUOR for a year
M.N.M.
My heart goes out to the family and soon to be family of Sgt. David Elahi….
But this article is partially FALSE…
Sgt. Elahi WASN’T retiring he was Going to work PART-TIME police force and work full time in real estate at the end of July…