An off-duty Ocala Police officer who was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after an early morning crash was terminated Friday afternoon.
Kaitlyn MacDonald, 21, was a probationary officer who was hired Dec. 29, 2017. She was labeled as a “promising new officer” by the Ocala Police Department in a statement Friday that called her arrest “disappointing.”
“We have a zero tolerance stance regarding driving under the influence,” a department statement read.
When an officer arrived at the scene of the one-car crash in the 100 block of SW 5th Street just before 2 a.m., he reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol while speaking with MacDonald. She indicated that she was coming from a bar in downtown Ocala and had consumed “at least 7 beers” before leaving the establishment, an Ocala Police Department report says.
The officer, who also is a DUI investigator, had MacDonald perform five field sobriety tests. Upon completion, she was taken into custody and submitted to a breath test, which revealed results of .200 and .198 blood alcohol content, the report says.
MacDonald was transported to the Marion County Jail and charged with driving under the influence and property damage.
