It was around 1:30 a.m. on August 20 when a Sheffield, Massachusetts, police officer stopped a car that had crossed the center line on Route 7 headed into Great Barrington.
In his police log, Officer Brennan Polidoro wrote the driver was "emitting a strong odor of alcoholic beverage, bloodshot glassy eyes, and thick tongued speech." The man behind the wheel was Great Barrington Police Officer Dan Bartini. He wasn't given a sobriety test or arrested. The Sheffield officer told him to "call for a ride."
Two weeks later, and the Sheffield town administrator announced they will investigate the incident.
"We want the public to know we take matters like this seriously, which is why we'd like to do an investigation," Rhonda LaBombard said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.
She said they're looking into the vehicle stop because residents think the Great Barrington police officer received special treatment.
"About whether this was favoritism was the main thing we were hearing from members in the community," LaBombard said.
According to Mark K. Leahy, the executive director of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police, the Commonwealth has no statewide protocol that requires local police departments to test or arrest people they suspect of drunk driving.
Leahy said because tests like the pen held in front of the eyes and portable breathalyzers aren't always admissible in Massachusetts courts, it's not always easy for small town police officers.
"Well it sounds great that we should absolutely arrest every drunk driver that we run across even if we think they're close but we don't know, well that's great right up until the point where now there's no one left patrolling your town," said Leahy.
The Sheffield Police Department has two officers on duty at all times to patrol the town of 3,000 people.
The chief of police was instructed by the town not to talk to media, but in previous interviews he told the Berkshire Eagle that the police officer pulled over was treated like any other person.
That officer isn't currently facing any disciplinary action from his department.