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Madison police officer charged with OWI, had child in the car

Posted at 3:42 PM, Aug 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-25 16:42:32-04

A Madison police officer has been charged with an OWI while having a minor in the vehicle, and she still remains on the force, according to our sister station  WISC-TV.

A criminal complaint shows Kelly Ann Hoeft was identified “by means of a police identification card," by an officer at the scene back on June 1. She had a blood alcohol level of 0.27, and had a 5-year-old in the backseat.

She allegedly told the officer, "I've definitely been drinking.”

Hoeft was charged with a pair of misdemeanors: First offense OWI and OWI with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.15 with a passenger under the age of 16 in the vehicle.

Madison police didn’t release the report in June, and a police spokesperson told WISC Hoeft was placed on leave immediately, but is now back on patrol while the court case is in progress.

She has been reassigned from safety education officer to patrol, according to Madison Police Chief Mike Koval.

Koval said an internal review will take place after the court case is done.

"An officer’s employment status while a case progresses is made on a case-by-case basis, taking a broad view of the circumstances," Koval told WISC.

The professional standards unit will decide if Hoeft violated any policies or procedures.

"As Chief, I must be concerned with ensuring the public’s confidence that those who are entrusted to serving our community understand that there is an expectation of being held to a higher standard," Koval told WISC. "When an officer makes a bad decision off-duty, it reflects poorly on all of us. I have spoken with this officer and I know how she deeply regrets what this incident has meant to both her personal reputation as well as that of MPD."