The man charged with murder in connection to a December crash that killed a D.C. police officer had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit, according to evidence presented during a probable cause hearing.
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The hearing for 47-year-old Jerrold Coates, of Northwest D.C., took place Monday in D.C. Superior Court. Coates is charged with second-degree murder, among other charges, in the death of 32-year-old officer Terry Bennett.
Coates is accused of driving erratically and striking Bennett, who was out of his vehicle and helping a stranded motorist on Interstate 695 when he was struck on Dec. 23. He died from his injuries in early January.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter said in court Monday that Coates’ car could be seen on video “swerving in and out of traffic and notably driving faster than other cars.”
Authorities tested Coates’ blood alcohol level after the crash and it registered as twice the legal limit of 0.08, according to prosecutors.
Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Coates held without bond.
Coates, who is a paraplegic and drives using hand controls, told officers after the crash that sometimes the controls didn’t work properly. He also allegedly told police he had a drink, a shot and smoked a marijuana joint before getting in his car.
His attorney, Rachel Cicurel, said one witness told police Coates’ car was “screeching,” indicating he was braking hard to avoid the crash and argued there wasn’t probable cause for murder.
While cross examining a detective who responded to the scene of the crash, Cicurel asked officer Victor Peralta if Coates’ car had been checked for faulty hand controls. Peralta responded that had not been done, but there was a plan to check them soon as a part of the investigation.
Cicurel also said that while Bennett was not responsible for the crash, he was not wearing a reflective safety vest and as few as two road flares had been lit in the area where Bennett was helping the stranded driver.
Coates will be back in D.C. Superior Court in May.
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