DEARBORN, Mich. – A Dearborn fire chief who’s spoken out against drunk driving in the past was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Officials say Dearborn Fire Chief Joseph Murray was taken into custody Tuesday (Aug. 29) morning in Dearborn Heights after police allegedly saw him swerving in traffic.
Police say Murray was driving 60 miles per hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone.
Murray has been with the department since 2004 but became chief in 2012.
“It’s so sad, and it’s a tragic thing when you have somebody that’s leading the community that let this happen to them,” said Ameer Abusalah.
Scanner traffic from Broadcastify offered insight during the moments Murray was noticed on Telegraph Road near Dartmouth Street.
Allegedly, he was seen weaving in and out of traffic and going 15 miles over the speed limit.
Officials say Murray refused a breathalyzer test, and he was taken into custody.
As the owner of Epic Driving School, Abusalah believes this shouldn’t have happened.
“Someone in that position should definitely walk away and let somebody else lead the community,” Abusalah said.
And as the descendent of a firefighter himself, Jake Vitale believes Murray should have known better.
“My grandfather’s a retired firefighter, and he wouldn’t stand for that,” said Vitale.
If anything, it’s evident by Murray’s own words, spoken at an event against drunk driving.
“Sometimes it’s a completely innocent person that’s been injured or killed or had a vehicle collision because of a drunk driver,” Murray said during a previous speech on drunk driving. “With almost 10,000 deaths a year, this translates to about 30 people each day in the U.S. lose their lives to completely avoidable collisions.”
“Earlier this morning, the administration was notified of an incident involving our Fire Chief. We are taking this matter seriously. As facts become known, we will take the appropriate course of action.”
City of Dearborn Mayor’s Office
