Off-duty Redmond Police officer arrested for alleged drunken driving

Published 2:05 pm Tuesday, August 17, 2021

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An off-duty Redmond Police officer was arrested Monday after allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and crashing her vehicle on Cline Falls Road north of Bend, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Hannah Copeland, 44, of Powell Butte, was driving a 1977 Jeep Wrangler at 6:06 p.m. when she attempted to make a U-turn near the 65000 block of Cline Falls Road, Sgt. Jayson Janes said in a press release. As Copeland made the turn, she crashed into another vehicle, Janes said.

No one was injured in the crash.

Copeland was arrested at the scene and cited for driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. The investigation is being sent to the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of additional charges.

Copeland has worked for Redmond Police since she was hired in 2000. She received the department’s Officer of the Year award in 2016 and gained the reputation as one of the region’s best domestic violence investigators, according to information she included in a lawsuit earlier this year.

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In February, Copeland filed a lawsuit against Redmond Police Lt. Eric Beckwith and accused him of sexist, racist and unprofessional behavior. Copeland alleged that since 2016, she’s been subjected to retaliatory discipline and bullying by Beckwith and others.

Copeland was also the subject of a lawsuit in January 2020. She and Redmond Police officer Timothy Warburg were sued in U.S. District Court in Eugene for using a Taser stun gun on a 14-year-old boy while arresting him for a minor offense in January 2018.

Redmond Police did not comment Tuesday to questions about possible discipline Copeland could face following her arrest.

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