A Navajo Nation police officer has been charged with murder after allegedly driving drunk while striking and killing a bicyclist.
Glendale Police report that on September 22, Kevin Richard Hevel, 30, was at the Westgate Entertainment District, near 95th and Glendale avenues, consuming alcohol for about three hours.
He was in the Valley attending a police-related training event in Paradise Valley.
Several drivers called 911 reporting a red SUV driving erratically on the road. Hevel reportedly sideswiped a vehicle near 59th and Glendale avenues.
Police say he continued driving eastbound on the sidewalk, when he hit 60-year-old Peter Rankin who was riding his bicycle. Rankin was killed when he was thrown from the bike and hit a pole.
Hevel, police say, continued driving, running a red light before hitting Glendale patrol vehicle, causing it to spin.
Others were hurt in the crash, but only suffered minor injuries.
Hevel reportedly told an officer that he had "a lot to drink." This was allegedly confirmed by a hospital blood test which showed his blood-alcohol level at .235, nearly three times the legal limit.
Hevel has been with the Navajo Nation Police Department for almost ten years.
The Maricopa County Attorney's office has charged Hevel with endangerment and second-degree murder.
