Former Cal State Fullerton officer charged with DUI on duty

A former officer with the Cal State Fullerton Police Department was charged Thursday with driving under the influence while on duty in a patrol car, officials said.

Other officers noticed that Thomas Henry Higgs, 59, was showing signs of intoxication during a May 7 police briefing and notified their command staff, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

An investigation revealed that Higgs was driving a marked patrol car around the campus with a blood-alcohol level of 0.09%, which is above the legal limit. He retired from the department that month, said Paula Selleck, a university spokeswoman.

He was charged Tuesday with one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or higher, prosecutors said.

If convicted, he faces up to six months in county jail. He is due in court in August for arraignment.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

UPDATES:

July 6, 11:10 a.m.: This article was updated to note that Higgs retired from the department in May.

This article was originally published on July 5 at 10:55 p.m.