County Sheriff’s lieutenant arrested for DUI after rollover

A Washington County Sheriff's lieutenant was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a rollover off state Route 17, Washington County, Feb. 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

WASHINGTON COUNTY – A Washington County Sheriff’s lieutenant was arrested Sunday for alleged drunk driving following a rollover.

A Washington County Sheriff's lieutenant was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a rollover off state Route 17, Washington County, Feb. 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News
A Washington County Sheriff’s lieutenant was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a rollover off state Route 17, Washington County, Feb. 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

WCSO Lt. Jason “Jake” Lynn Adams, 39, was off duty and driving an unmarked patrol truck at the time of the accident, Washington County Sheriff Cory Pulsipher said.

Adams and four of his children were in the vehicle and headed eastbound on state Route 17 around mile post 1 when the accident occurred, according to a statement from the Utah Highway Patrol.

The truck began to drift off the right shoulder of the roadway, then over-corrected back to the left. The truck went off the road and into a dirt embankment in a sideways-slide which caused it to roll onto its roof.

Everyone in the truck was wearing a seatbelt and experienced only minor injuries, UHP reported. No one required medical transport.

Upon further investigation by the UHP, Adams was arrested on suspicion of DUI and booked into the Iron County Jail in order to avoid conflict of interest. He has since posted bail.

“I’m just thankful there were no serious injuries to him or the others involved,” Pulsipher said.

Pulsipher said Adams is currently on administrative leave. In addition to any continuing UHP investigation, he said an internal affairs investigation is also being conducted in conjunction with the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

Persons charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

A Washington County Sheriff's lieutenant was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a rollover off state Route 17, Washington County, Feb. 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News
A Washington County Sheriff’s lieutenant was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a rollover off state Route 17, Washington County, Feb. 9, 2014 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

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64 Comments

  • JOSH DALTON February 10, 2014 at 4:35 pm

    NOT GOOD…

  • JOSH DALTON February 10, 2014 at 4:46 pm

    Maybe there is a good reason his picture is not in the bookings? Maybe it’s the same reason he was drinking and driving! No special cases when it comes to DUI.

    • Dan Lester February 10, 2014 at 7:30 pm

      The article says he was booked into IRON County Jail to avoid conflict of interest. So, he’s not in the pix from Purgatory.

      • ladybugavengef February 11, 2014 at 2:38 pm

        Iron county website is down! Coincidence…lol

      • JOSH DALTON February 11, 2014 at 2:53 pm

        Oh…I jumped the gun a bit. I apologise for being mispoken. Thank you for setting me straight. I never read the article.

  • Doofy February 10, 2014 at 5:22 pm

    Humm. So he was using the police vehicle for personal business hauling his kids around, and suspected having been drunk, wrecked the taxpayer bought truck. hmm

  • Paul Jensen February 10, 2014 at 5:22 pm

    Rolled it while drunk with his kids inside? Oh my heck! No excuses for that one.
    Way to bust a Buster.

  • Kenneth Carlton February 10, 2014 at 5:26 pm

    We are ALL JUST human beings, that make mistakes. This one is a career ending mistake, and I feel sorry for his family. Hopefully he can see what drinking is doing to life and make some corrective decisions. Intervention at earlier stage of his drinking problem would have been better, but if you ask his co-workers, they may be surprised that he even had a drinking problem.

    • Real Life February 10, 2014 at 9:12 pm

      With his kids in the car? Whatever. How many people has he financially destroyed by giving them a DUI? Hypocrite is too nice of a word for this guy.

    • That guy February 10, 2014 at 9:57 pm

      Yes I can agree I’ve made mistakes, however, driving drunk and putting your own children’s lives in danger (let alone your own, and everyone else on the road) is not a mistake…

    • ladybugavenger February 11, 2014 at 2:40 pm

      Who’s ladybugavengf lol

    • ladybugavenger February 11, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      bunch of crap! It wasn’t a mistake.

  • mary February 10, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    I hope he eats more than one slice of his Humble Pie.

  • Tinker Toys February 10, 2014 at 6:13 pm

    I hope he is required to pay the citizens of Washington County back for their vehicle he crashed. I wonder what his bishop has to say?

    • Lucy February 10, 2014 at 8:59 pm

      Seriously Tinker Toys! Get off your high horse. “Judge not lest ye be judged”

      • Ken February 11, 2014 at 8:26 am

        The people on high horses are those you want to quote the Bible, thinking it makes them right and that they are all righteous. So time for you to dismount.

      • Chris February 11, 2014 at 8:59 am

        Go ahead and judge me. I’ve never driven drunk in a county vehicle with my kids on board. This guy deserves to be dragged through all the scorn we can heap on him.

      • ladybugavenger February 11, 2014 at 2:45 pm

        People never finish that scripture….finish it! And get some discernment

        • P.J. February 12, 2014 at 12:44 am

          That is the whole scripture. Matt 7:1

          • ladybugavenger February 12, 2014 at 10:54 am

            Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

            Judge me because if i drink and drive with my children please punish me, as the sheriff too should be punished

        • P.J. February 12, 2014 at 9:58 pm

          Good point, but that’s the next scripture.

  • Anonymous February 10, 2014 at 6:45 pm

    @Josh Dalton if you read the article you would have noticed that he was booked into IRON COUNTY JAIL to prevent conflict of interest issues as a WCSO employee.

    • ladybugavenger February 11, 2014 at 2:43 pm

      Is their a conflict of interest when the iron county website is down? Or is that just coincidence lol….wonder if it will be down for five days hmmmmm

    • JOSH DALTON February 11, 2014 at 2:56 pm

      I did not read the article. I was shocked by just the heading.

  • Anonymous February 10, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    @Doofy The majority of police pgencies in Washington County allow take home vehicles and reasonable personal use of those vehicles, so long as it remains within the county. Officers are subject to call 24/7, this allows for faster response times in large scale critical incidents.

  • KAM February 10, 2014 at 8:17 pm

    He was booked into the iron county jail to avoid any conflict…. Really? Bing or Google him for mug shot….

  • Ryan White February 10, 2014 at 8:36 pm

    How suspicious that the Iron County Sheriff’s Office booking page is down. Looks like the officer of the year is covering for his buddies. Come on Sheriff Gower.

    • Chris February 11, 2014 at 9:01 am

      I go to the booking page and found Jason Lynn Adams, but the pictures are not loading.

  • Darren Tyler February 10, 2014 at 9:36 pm

    This is no “mistake”. He knowingly drank, he knowingly put his kids in the vehicle and drove. This is a decision he made. Him being a police officer should mean that he is held to a higher standard and this needs to be dealt with in a harsher maner then the public

    • Grizzly Haan February 11, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      Yo Darren how’s it goin brotha? I agree with you 100%. Sadly, this guy used to be part of my family. He married my aunt once upon a time, they are divorced now. The kids in his car were my cousins!! Yikes!! This infuriates me!! What you have to say is 100% true and should be handled that way with every police officer. Well put DT.

      • Grizzly Haan February 11, 2014 at 12:02 pm

        Are my cousins….i should say. not were. lol.

  • Scott February 10, 2014 at 10:51 pm

    To those who assume Lt Adams was drunk, DUI does not necessarily mean alcohol was involved. DUI can involve alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription medication. There are even those who may have unforseen adverse reactions to medications. People should reserve judgement until the investigation is complete.

    • Grizzly Haan February 11, 2014 at 12:09 pm

      While what you have to say is true, it specifically states on every single prescription i’ve ever seen (that has the ability to impair), to see how your body reacts to it first. That being said, you would know these warnings if the medication was PRESCRIBED, right? If you do not follow the guidelines properly this is the result generally. Regardless of what “he took” he should have been more responsible, considering the kids and others on the road mainly. He’s an officer of the law for Pete’s sake. Don’t try to act like he didn’t understand what he was doing. That’s the part that is untrue in your statement here. And if it was illegal drugs, well, you already know the answer there. so basically, regardless of what it was, he took too much. enough to put his children in danger, let alone his own self and others being on the road like that. BE RESPONSIBLE. Grown ups in Southern Utah need to quit actling like they’re still in high school. Seriously.

  • DIANE PRISBREY February 10, 2014 at 11:34 pm

    Unless your perfect, quit throwing stones.

    • Chris February 11, 2014 at 9:07 am

      You are way out of line if you think we should not be criticizing outrageous behavior just because we are not perfect ourselves. Besides, its “you’re” not “your”, Miss Perfect.

    • anna thomas February 11, 2014 at 1:35 pm

      Really? Oh okay, so if this fool had killed a family member of yours because he was driving impaired you would have the same reaction? You would defend him ? His behavior is okay and no one should say anything negative about it? Wow, life on your planet must be interesting.

    • Real Life February 11, 2014 at 8:59 pm

      Quit throwning stones. LOL! A guy who hands out DUI’s gets one with his KIDS in the COUNTY owned truck, after he WRECKS it! He deserves every bit of ridicule he gets. Hope he gets hooked up in jail with one of his “buddies” he sent there.

  • sam February 11, 2014 at 6:22 am

    This fellow had better get some jail time and lose his license, DUI, child endangerment destroying county property but I would be willing to bet he gets nothing but a slap on the wrist, just like the three STG officers who got busted smuggling steroids across international borders.

    • Ken February 11, 2014 at 8:33 am

      It’s almost guaranteed that he will only get a slap on the wrist! They will wait until the fever dies down and the brethren will get together and all will be forgiven. His court dates and any love taps will be hidden as private personnel issues. I found the quote of the sheriff that Adams would face discipline for using county property while off duty. Well I would think that might be the least of his worries but now I think that might be his biggest worry! SMH

      • Chris February 11, 2014 at 9:10 am

        You are correct that he will get very little punishment from the law–a fine, suspended license and community service for a first offender–but this most certainly is the end of his law enforcement career.

  • DoubleTap February 11, 2014 at 9:46 am

    Taxpayer bought truck!! Severely damaged!! Washington County Sheriffs office has a policy of NOT allowing personal use of its vehicles (Sheriff vehicles especially). Why this individual, who is expected to be held at a higher standard (in view of his rank and tenure in the department), chose to drink and allow his children to ride in the vehicle while under his control…..is beyond comprehension.
    He is extremely lucky that there were no serious injuries to himself and his children. Iron County booking mug shot shows him with a slight bruise on his forehead. I was able to see mug shot before it was taken off the site. He is no different than any other motor vehicle operator out there. Why would the County of Washington Sheriffs Department WANT to keep this individual employed as a Deputy?? He has proven to be a liability to the County and a danger to the public. However, it does go to show that even Law Enforcement Officers ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW!!! Should Officer Adams be allowed to keep his job after this incident; it will clearly demonstrate that this county is not really serving the people. It will demonstrate a clear double standard of select law enforcement and, above all……show a “do as I say, and not as I do” mentality of County administrators.

  • Zachary Christensen February 11, 2014 at 10:42 am

    He is the under-sheriff of Washington County. I know him personally and I’m shocked he pulled a “do as I say not as I do” move.

    • Festus February 11, 2014 at 11:40 am

      He’s an LT. boss.. Not the undersheriff.. Apparently you don’t know him very well..

  • Roy J February 11, 2014 at 11:27 am

    From the Salt Lake Tribune

    UHP Sgt. Todd Royce said troopers placed Adams under arrest at the scene of the accident after their preliminary investigation indicated alcohol was involved. Royce referred further questions about prosecution to the Washington County Attorney’s Office, which had not filed formal counts against Adams as of Monday afternoon.

    Royce said that due to his status as a Washington County lawman, Adams was taken to the Iron County Jail in Cedar City.

    Jail records show Adams was booked on suspicion of class A misdemeanor driving while under the influence of alcohol with a minor child in vehicle; class A misdemeanor possession of a firearm while under the influence; and class C misdemeanor unsafe lane change

  • Virginia Hanna February 11, 2014 at 2:28 pm

    Come on, You know they will spread this out so people and their short memory will not notice again the double standard.

  • Utah Taliban February 11, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    I’m sure he performed a good mission somewhere, therefore assuring that he will get off with a light sentence.

  • triplesdriver February 11, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    I hope the county and the surrounding departments takes a hard look at personal use and occupants in county , city, or state vehicles that aren’t employees or under arrest. Now the tax payers are. going to have to foot the bill for a new patrol car. Unless you are search and rescue or a detective that is on call there is no reason why they should be using the vehicles. Do you know how many people look up to officers. They put their lives in danger for the safety of the community. They aren’t supposed to endanger others for their stupidity. Especially their own children. You deserve the Darwin award for sure. You bone head.

  • Betty February 11, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    Hopefully, the prosecuting attorney will charge him appropriately and the judge will impose appropriate punishment. Seeing how he is in a position of great trust, he should not be let off with a light punishment. If he does, as voters, we’ll need to go shopping for a new sherif, judge & anyone else involved. (Are county attornys appointed or elected?)

  • Willie February 11, 2014 at 7:56 pm

    Lucky for the citizens of Washington County he was in a county issued patrol vehicle with his (I’m only assuming) county issued firearms to assure he was ready to protect the people he swore an oath to at the drop of a hat, no matter how drunk he was.

    • triplesdriver February 11, 2014 at 9:33 pm

      That doesn’t take away the fact that he had his own kids in the vehicle. If his children were hurt who do you think would be responsible. The insurer which is the county which in turn is the public. He took an oath to protect us from law breakers which (if he is found guilty of) is. He has a responsibility to his family as well as the public and his employer to uphold the law….. not break it by doing such a life changing choice. How retarded to think that at the drop of a hat as you put it that he could make competent choices being under the influence of any substance if he was intact. At the very least if he isn’t found guilty he should have his badge taken away for disgracing it and himself and the department.

  • jose canseco February 11, 2014 at 10:47 pm

    I’ve always found it weird that people in Washington County are constantly checking “the bookings”… Are you looking for your friends and family on there or what?! Just seems to me like the natural by-product of a “hick town” type mentality.
    “Hey hun! Come check it out, Earl done and got himself arrested again!” *facepalm

    • ladybugavenger February 12, 2014 at 12:48 am

      and looking for people I work with :)..

    • Certified "Gun Nut" February 13, 2014 at 9:24 am

      Actually Jose, we are looking to see YOUR name a picture on there. “Coming Soon, to a booking site near you.”
      There is nothing weird about wanting to know what is going on. What is weird is people like you, who stick their heads in the sand and ignore the world that is going on around them.
      Are you gonna hire somebody to come into your home and perform a service if you know they have been arrested numerous times for burglary/theft? Well, yeah actually, you probably would. . .

  • hag February 12, 2014 at 7:49 am

    Humans DO make mistakes,no doubt about that. I think its hard for the community to hear not only this incident with Adams, but with multiple officers over time that are doing very wrong to our community! It’s just another “story” that makes me feel not so safe in regards to the ones that are supposed to serve and protect us.

    • DoubleTap February 12, 2014 at 8:25 am

      hag: True, some make mistakes. Then there are CHOICES. This Adams individual did NOT make a mistake. He CHOSE to drink, then he CHOSE to load up his kids in the vehicle, then he CHOSE to drive said vehicle while intoxicated. CHOICES have consequences. Said consequences should involve loss of employment as a Law Enforcement Officer ANYWHERE! Mandatory AA attendance, suspension of his driving priviledge (license), and a hefty fine. And possible community service as a lecturer at local high schools speaking to students on the dangers of driving drunk. And that’s just to start with.

      • JOSH DALTON February 12, 2014 at 9:40 am

        Amen! This is a harsh lesson in accountability!

  • DoubleTap February 12, 2014 at 8:16 am

    Rumor has it that Jake Adams has booked a room at the new Bloomington Rehab house. Attention Bloomington residents: make certain you all give a proper welcome to your soon-to-be new neighbor.
    He’ll protect you all from those nasty druggie rehabs that will be his room mates.

    • Gunther February 13, 2014 at 7:27 am

      “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” (Everyone looks at each other and notices no stones are being dropped. They all throws stones because they don’t dare be different than the others. They then go home and struggle with their own sins because it’s too difficult to come forward and address their own personal challenges and character defects. The next day, the cycle continues…………)

  • JOSH DALTON February 12, 2014 at 9:37 am

    Why are some of you bringing up his religion? He has a religious justification. Jesus kept the party going by turnning water into wine. I consider myself one of the first people to call out the LDS the fact that SOME of YOU people consider yourselves holier than thou. Sad thing is those folks will be standing with me in Heaven, even though they don’t believe it. Even this sheriff will be there with us in Heaven. First he is going to have to face the music. After his CDL is revoked for 10yrs and his DL suspended for a year. his $2500 dollar fine is paid. Oh, he is also going to have to successfully pass his drug and alcohol class. Then maybe he can get a job in corrections. I have no sympathy for him. I feel bad for his children and his wife. This guys life is going to be hard for a while. Welcome to the club. I was an idiot and drove drunk. SGPD set me straight. Slapped me with a DUI. Won’t happen again!

    • john February 12, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      He was LDS, I don’t think even he would consider himself LDS anymore. Hasn’t been active in a long time.

  • KAM February 12, 2014 at 10:45 pm

    Does anybod want to address the fact that there were firearms in the car? He was “supposedly” taking the kids shooting!!
    What a great example!

    • DoubleTap February 13, 2014 at 8:14 am

      KAM:

      The reason no one cares about there being firearms in the vehicle is because it is such a normal thing to do here in Southern Utah. Kids are raised around firearms. Kids are taught about firearms at an early age. Parents DO take their kids shooting all the time. Most kids from here are very aware of firearms and they DO respect them. This due to kids being educated about firearms properly from an early age. So there being firearms in the vehicle is non-relevant to the choices Adams made. Again, he CHOSE to drink, put his kids in vehicle, drive impaired. Could it be he had his service weapon on his person??? Most probable.

  • Aaron March 20, 2014 at 11:04 pm

    I know this person personally if!!! he drinks he would only have maybe 1 or 2 beers at a time. He has done more for this community than most people. He admitted he had one drink ,hours before ,that a friend made ,homemade apple cider. I don’t believe drinking was an issue in this case, it’s been blown out of proportion. And by the way everybody makes mistakes, think about the amount of men in our community that don’t do well by their children and by their wives. This is a person to be respected, he is a man that you can count on. I guarantee this will be a lesson learned. He deserves the support and backing of his community!!! This person is in a situation where he has dealt with and seen atrocities in crime, that most people couldn’t psychologically deal with, murders and rape, he’s the one dealing with the dead bodies of children and people of our community. If you knew what he dealt with ,things he has seen ,you to have a different opinion .he has done these things for our community ,and everyone’s well-being. Think about your family and your loved ones, they have all made mistakes, a lot of them not being noticed. He is our brother and needs our support.

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