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Bellevue cop charged with DUI; fellow officer under fire for not arresting him

By Brett Cihon
Published  December 5, 2013 4:42pm PST
FOX 13 Seattle

ISSAQUAH -- A Bellevue policeman and his off-duty co-worker are being investigated after the on-duty officer failed to arrest his off-duty cohort during an apparent DUI stop.

The prosecutor's office in the city of Issaquah charged officer Andrew Hanke with DUI on Thursday afternoon.

According to the Bellevue Police Department, police officials are performing an internal investigation regarding the actions of the officer who failed to arrest Hanke.



The on-duty officer pulled over a Jeep on I-90 for investigation of a DUI on Nov. 20 near Issaquah. The on-duty officer said he immediately recognized the Hanke as a fellow policeman and he immediately "smelled an odor of alcohol" when Hanke rolled down his window and that Hanke had slurred speech and appeared "hammered."

The officer called Hanke's wife, who came to the scene and gave Hanke a ride home.

The on-duty officer notified his superiors of his actions the next day. Hanke was immediately placed on administrative leave, police said, and his case was forwarded to the prosecutor's office.

Bellevue police officials are currently conducting their own investigation on the off-duty officer's decision.

"The officer's decision in this case not to make an arrest is undergoing a through and objective internal investigation," police said. "That investigation will determine whether or not the on-duty officer used poor judgement and/or failed to perform their duties."

Bellevue Police Department spokesman Seth Tyler confirmed that Hanke was one of two Bellevue officers punished last year for their off-duty behavior at a Seahawks game, when they drunkenly confronted and used profane language against a female Seattle police officer who had told one of their acquaintances she saw littering to pick up the trash.  Hanke also allegedly used offensive language inside the stadium toward a  fan and his family.

Hanke was suspended for 30 days without pay and removed from the Bomb Squad for that Seahawks game incident.