Clayton police chief pleads guilty to DUI, resigns

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware police chief set to go to trial on a drunken driving charge has pleaded guilty and resigned his post.

News outlets report that 48-year-old Brian C. Hill withdrew his not guilty plea Monday morning, and received one year of probation for the misdemeanor offense. He must also complete a class and pay some fees.

Court records say a state police trooper found Hill's disabled vehicle parked on railroad tracks one night in 2017. He was charged on Aug. 12 of that year with driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to remain in a single lane. 

Hill and his attorney filed a motion this year to suppress his breathalyzer results. He argued at the time that state troopers hadn't established probable cause before conducting a test on him. At the time, he had pleaded not guilty. 

A judge declined the motion, saying the trooper reported Hill admitted to the charge and asked the trooper "to help him out of a bad situation."

Clayton Mayor David Letterman said Hill resigned as chief of the Clayton Police Department on Friday.

Hill had served as police chief in Clayton, a town just west of Smyrna, for more than a decade. 

He had been placed on leave two weeks after his arrest, and Lt. Carl Hutson was picked to step in as acting police chief. A representative of the department said Tuesday that Hutson, now a captain, is still serving as acting chief. 

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