VB officer found guilty of DUI

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Virginia Beach Police Officer Bryan Womble was found guilty of DUI and Hit and Run in a Virginia Beach courtroom Monday.  Officer Womble cried through much of the bench trial as fellow officers testified against him.

One officer told the judge that Womble crashed into another car at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on June 20th and blew a .15 on the breathalyzer, nearly twice the legal limit.  Another officer testified Womble smelled of alcohol and was swaying as he walked and slurring his speech. Prosecutors said after Womble crashed into the other car he kept going and fled the scene.

Erricka Brown, 18, was driving the other car. "I said, 'Oh my God we're hit.'  He reversed and he goes around our car to continue to go down the street to where he was going," said Brown.

Womble testified he did not intend to flee the scene. He said he was disoriented from the impact of the airbag hitting his face. Womble said he had been drinking rum and Coke and knew he should not have been driving. He said he was planning to drive to the 2nd Precinct and get a ride home. 

The prosecutor tried to punch a hole in Womble's statement by saying Womble had a cell phone with him and could have stopped and called for a ride.

One officer testified he saw Womble pass him on the street, saw heavy smoke filling his car and did a U-turn to go after him. The officer said he put his lights and siren on and Womble stopped nearly two blocks from the crash scene.  Womble said he stopped on his own and did not even see the officer trying to pull him over.

Womble's sergeant responded to the scene and said Womble commented, "I'm guilty. I just want to get this over with."

Womble was a leading DUI enforcement officer who had arrested former NFL star Bruce Smith for DUI just one month before Womble himself was arrested for the same crime.

Womble testified that he had only started drinking about a month before his arrest because he was dealing with personal issues, including his sick father. He said before that he did not drink at all.

In the end, the judge convicted Womble of DUI and Hit and Run. He sentenced the officer to five days in jail, suspended his drivers license for 12 months, gave him a $250 fine and ordered him to enroll in an alcohol safety awareness program.

Womble and his attorney are appealing the convictions, so the sentence will not be imposed.

Meanwhile, Officer Womble continues to work for the Virginia Beach Police Department on administrative duty.