A police officer in Aurora got drunk on duty and fell asleep in his patrol car and didn't lose his job, or face DUI charges.

In March a call was made to check on the welfare of a seemingly unconscious police officer in his cruiser just outside Buckley Air Force Base in March.

Once the officers arrived on the scene they found paramedics already there and an unmarked police car in the middle of Mississippi Ave. with the engine still running. Aurora Police Department officer Nate Meier was in the driver's seat.

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The officer did not respond to requests to open the door so the passenger side window was broken and Officer Meier was removed from the vehicle, smelling, they said, of alcohol. Aurora Deputy Police Chief Paul O'Keefe responded as well and was quoted as saying when he entered the vehicle he noted there:

"was the odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage; however, the smell was fleeting and I did not observe any physical evidence of alcohol consumption in the vehicle.”

He went on to say he was unsure if this was alcohol-related or possibly a medical issue. He initially requested an officer follow him to the hospital to investigate the possibility of a D.U.I., however:

"based on the lack of information, my own observations, the fact that the car was stopped (ignition on) with no motor vehicle accident or driving observations, and the lack of any additional evidence (no other noted smells, no bloodshot watery eyes, physical impairment inconsistent with my experience with DUI), it was decided that no testing would be completed at that time,”

Meier admitted to going home during his shift and drinking vodka while on duty but has kept his job and was not charged.

The Aurora Police Department released a statement concerning Officer Meier and the incident.

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