Scottsdale Police Officer Charged With Aggravated Assault and Endangerment In DUI Crash

A Scottsdale police officer has been indicted on aggravated assault and endangerment charges for a crash last November.

At the time of the accident, Officer Michael Lanouar was arrested on suspicion of DUI while driving off-duty in a city vehicle. He crashed with another car near Pima Road and Indian School Rd. Both passengers in the other car were hospitalized.

Scottsdale Police confirmed that his toxicology report came back with a BAC of .198%, which is more than double the legal limit. However, officials have released details that he is not being charged with impairment. The question is being raised as to why the officer is not being charged with impairment. The current explanation is that when someone is suspected of being DUI and they’re involved in an automobile accident that causes serious physical injury to another person, the driver is charged with aggravated assault. Often, they’re not charged with DUI. If the officer is convicted as charged, he will receive a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 15 years in prison.

The prosecutor’s office will argue that his vehicle as a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument and that will require a mandatory prison sentence.

If Officer Lanouar chooses to take a plea deal, the outcome will still likely involve prison time and not probation.

According to the Scottsdale Police Department, Officer Lanoaur was demoted, not fired. Lanoaur resigned as a police officer in January and chose an involuntary demotion to work as a Scottsdale detention officer in the Scottsdale city jail.

Scottsdale PD has said depending on Lanouar’s trial outcome, they will re-evaulate his employment. If he is convicted of a felony, he will not be allowed to carry a gun, which is needed as a detention officer.

Lanoaur will be back in court on March 29.