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WBRZ Investigative Unit: BRPD officer above legal limit when fiery crash happened, leaked document says

ZACHARY - A document leaked to the WBRZ Investigative Unit shows what several sources had been telling us all along: Baton Rouge Police Officer Loren Gaskin was under the influence when he totaled an unmarked police unit in Zachary on March 16.

On Wednesday, we received the document and confirmed its authenticity with BRPD. Breath alcohol tests from two hours after the reported crash time say Gaskin's BAC was .104.

Fifteen minutes later, he took the test again and blew a .097.


In Louisiana, anyone who is driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher is considered to be drunk driving.

Chief TJ Morse said the tests were not administered by BRPD or Zachary Police officers but were taken at a medical testing facility.

WBRZ Investigative Unit previously reported that Gaskin and another driver who was suspected of being drunk were in a head-on crash along Church Street in Zachary on March 16 just before midnight. Gaskin was driving an unmarked BRPD unit that caught fire. First responders had to scramble to get weapons and ammunition out of the vehicle as the fire quickly spread.

A crash report given to WBRZ was vague about Gaskin's suspected alcohol use. The reporting officer answered "unknown" or "not applicable" for each question.

Zachary Police told us officers suspected the other driver had been drinking before the crash but declined to say anything about Gaskin.

Both drivers were taken to a hospital for their injuries, and medical staff took blood samples from each. The day after the blood draw, Chief Darryl Lawrence told the Investigative Unit the department was getting a subpoena to do a drug and alcohol screening.

On Wednesday, Lawrence said the sample had not been tested.

Neither driver has been ticketed or arrested. Gaskin, who works at the BRPD Training Academy, is still on administrative leave.

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