A Little Rock police lieutenant was arrested on a DWI charge following a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 430 early Friday, state police confirmed.
A state trooper investigated a crash near the Rodney Parham interchange along the northbound lanes of the interstate in which Lt. Michael Ford, 39, of Maumelle, was the driver, Arkansas State Police spokesperson Bill Sadler said in an email.
Ford was arrested by troopers at 2:50 a.m. and transported to the Highway Patrol Division, Troop A, for processing of charges, according to Sadler.
He faces charges of driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to a chemical test, and careless and prohibited driving, Sadler said.
Ford has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, Sgt. Eric Barnes, a spokesperson for the Little Rock Police Department, said in an email.
“Due to this being an ongoing investigation and being mindful of Lt. Ford’s employment due process rights, we will not make a further comment,” Barnes said.
An initial court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, according to Sadler.
Ford started as an officer with the department in 2003, and was promoted to lieutenant in 2016, Barnes said.
Ford was previously under investigation after he was accused of firing a rifle into the air on New Year's Day in 2020.