Harrisburg Police Officer Brent Stanley charged with DUI
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A lab report showed four different drugs were in Harrisburg Police Officer Joel Brent Stanley's system while he was driving March 7, according to State's Attorney Mike Henshaw.
Stanley, 44, Harrisburg, was arrested by the Illinois State Police at 4:50 p.m. June 19 on a charge of driving under the influence of drugs.
Henshaw said the charge stems from a March 7 incident.
On that morning, Fire Chief Bill Summers and Assistant Police Chief David Morris observed Stanley during a law enforcement breakfast at the Clearwave building on Seright Street in Harrisburg. Henshaw said they noticed impaired speech, fixated pupils and shakiness in Stanley's behavior. They then watched Stanley drive to the Saline County Detention Center.
Morris then took Stanley to Primary Care for urinalysis. The urine was sent to a lab for testing and results did not come back until Tuesday, when a warrant was issued for Stanley's arrest.
Henshaw said the lab report shows Stanley was positive for four different prescription drugs - lorazepam, aprazolam, hydroxyalprazolam and phentermine. It is unknown whether Stanley had prescriptions for any of the drugs, which are a combination of anxiety relievers and diet pills.
"Just because you have a prescription doesn't mean you can get in a car and drive impaired," said Henshaw.
Stanley, who has been working at the Harrisburg Police Department since 1998 is still employed at the department, according to Police Chief Bob Smith.
However, according to Dee Pelhank, employee in the State's Attorney's office and member of the Police Merit Board, Stanley has been suspended since the March 7 incident and will be fired if the merit board votes to do so.
A bill of information stated Stanley "was under the influence of drugs or a combination of drugs to a degree that renders the person incapable of safely driving."
Henshaw said a special prosecutor has been appointed by the court to prosecute the case.