UMass Chan Medical School police lieutenant facing drunken driving charge

A campus police lieutenant for UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester is facing an operating under the influence charge in connection with a July incident, according to court records. Lt. Gregory Markiewicz has been charged with operating under the influence of liquor (OUI) and using an electronic device while driving in Worcester District Court, court records show. The criminal complaint against him was filed Thursday in connection with a July 19 incident. Markiewicz has been issued a summons to appear in court on Oct. 5. The lieutenant's defense attorney, Randy Power, said in a statement that his client 'unequivocally denies' driving under the influence of alcohol on the day of the incident. 'He fully cooperated with the officers that day and was never placed under arrest or offered any of the standard testing that helps determine whether probable cause exists for an OUI charge,' the statement reads. 'He looks forward to defending his good name in Court going forward.' An internal investigation by Worcester police determined that officers violated department policy by not arresting Markiewicz, Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier said in a statement. Department policy is to arrest drivers suspected of OUI when probable cause exists. At the time of the crash, an officer called his supervisor to ask how to handle the situation because the officer thought 'an element of the crime of OUI was in question,' Saucier said. The supervisor told the officer to issue a summons rather than arrest Markiewicz. Saucier said the issue was brought to his attention in July. He then asked the Bureau of Professional Standards to investigate the matter, and the bureau found that there had been a policy violation. The statement of facts in the case lists the incident as an accident with injuries, but contains no description of the injuries, the Telegram & Gazette reported. According to the report, Markiewicz sideswiped three parked cars in Worcester around 6:10 p.m. The lieutenant told officers at the scene he'd caused the crash through distracted driving by using his cell phone, the Telegram reported. But the officers noticed that Markiewicz was unsteady on his feet, repeatedly stumbled onto the road, smelled strongly of alcohol and had glassy, bloodshot eyes. The lieutenant told police he had just left a bar in Worcester, and that, about a half-hour before the crash, he had consumed two blueberry sour beers, the Telegram reported. As of Monday afternoon, Markiewicz was still listed on the medical school's website as a lieutenant in its Department of Public Safety. Police Chief Clanford 'Leon' Pierce could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.