LAPD commander briefly detained for intoxication; her Sgt. arrested on DUI charges

(FOX 11) - An LAPD commander was carried out of a Dodge Charger by two officers around 1 a.m. Friday in Glendale.

Glendale Police confirm Nicole Mehringer was detained for public intoxication and taken into custody and released after several hours.

The driver in the car was Sgt. James Kelly, seen helped out of the car and then doing a sobriety test, struggling to put one foot in front of the other, losing balance and needing the support of another officer.

He tries repeatedly to walk in a straight line, over and over again.

Glendale Police said he was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

The person who handed us the video said it all started when the car was found in the middle of the road. The source said the Dodge hit a silver Mercedes and the Benz stopped it from rolling.

Our source said the officers' car was still in drive. And the two people inside were knocked out. He said Glendale police tried to wake them up for nearly 20 minutes.

Finally, our source says a tow truck company opened the door.

LAPD releases a statement:

"The Los Angeles Police Department is aware three of our sworn personnel have been detained or arrested in the past couple of days. One of the arrests involved alien smuggling and the other incident involved alcohol. Chief of Police Charlie Beck has been briefed on the circumstances surrounding these incidents and he is extremely concerned. Personnel complaint investigations are pending for all three employees."

A reliable source with LAPD said the incident with Mehringer's detainment is very surprising. He said she climbed up the ranks quickly and is highly regarded.