Report: woman drunk when trooper let her go
A woman coerced into exposing herself to a Washington State Patrol trooper was legally drunk when he let her drive away, investigative reports say.
The driver soon stopped at a north Spokane fast-food restaurant because she and her friend, who also exposed herself in exchange for getting out of a possible traffic ticket, felt exploited and frightened. The driver called 911, crying and in hysterics, triggering an investigation that now has Trooper Mark Haas facing criminal charges.
The 188-page report detailing Haas’ actions reveals a disturbing scenario: a commissioned trooper possibly sacrificing the safety of others on the road for his personal thrills.
“Well, girls, after I’ve seen what I’ve seen, I’m not going to run your names tonight,” Haas told the women, according to the WSP report. “You go ahead and go to the Jack in the Box, get yourself something to eat and drive careful home.”
A quick check of the driver’s name would have revealed she was driving without insurance, the report states.
Haas was charged with two counts of felony unlawful imprisonment with sexual motivations for the traffic stop that took place early Aug. 18 at East Bridgeport Avenue and North Market Street, according to the Spokane County prosecutor’s office. Haas, 52, faces an additional charge of official misconduct.
WSP officials revealed this week that Haas, a 22-year veteran with WSP, has been the focus of at least two other internal investigations. He was suspended for three days after authorities concluded that he interfered with a witness in an investigation about himself, said Capt. Jeff DeVere, State Patrol spokesman in Olympia. Allegations in the other investigation were deemed unfounded, DeVere said.
Two Spokane attorneys say they’re working for a third woman who has come forward since news broke of the August traffic stop. She alleges that Haas made similar sexual comments to her in early summer 2005, after she was stopped for driving drunk and taken to the Spokane Valley police precinct for processing.
She hasn’t filed a complaint but is considering her options, said one of the attorneys, John R. Clark.
The woman’s second attorney, Tim Note, said a witness is willing to come forward if necessary. That man also was being processed for a DUI.
“He witnessed enough of it to be concerned,” Note said. “He actually waited in the parking lot until she was released to make sure she was OK.”
Haas remains on paid administrative leave, officials said Tuesday.
According to the investigative report about the Aug. 18 stop, the two women claim the trooper not only used his position to coerce them into showing him their breasts and one woman’s genitalia; but also, they told investigators, that based on comments Haas made, they concluded he wanted to have group sex with them.
When WSP Detective Kenneth Wade asked the passenger how she felt about the trooper asking her to expose her genitalia, she answered, “Confused, scared, nervous, embarrassed …” Wade then asked: “Why didn’t you just tell him no?” and her reply was: ” ‘Cause he’s a cop, and you don’t.”
The 28- and 30-year-old women also told the officer they’d been drinking, records say. However, Haas never asked the driver to do a field sobriety test or breath test.
According to the investigative report, it wasn’t until a sergeant responded to investigate the allegations against Haas that the driver was given a test to determine if she was legally drunk. Almost two hours after Haas’ initial traffic stop, her blood-alcohol level was .082, slightly over the legal limit.