NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- A Newport News police officer has been charged with perjury after authorities said they found "discrepancies" in his testimony during a driving under the influence case in Newport News General District Traffic Court.
Newport News police were informed on Nov. 13 about the incident involving the officer, Scott A. Mounger, 49, and began a criminal investigation. Police said after "an extensive investigation" and multiple interviews the case was presented to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
A special prosecutor was appointed to handle the case, who presented it to a grand jury on Monday. The grand jury indicted the Mounger on one count each of perjury and falsely summoning or giving false reports to law enforcement officials.
Mounger was arrested at the department's South Precinct on Monday afternoon and later released on his recognizance by a magistrate. He is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court on Tuesday. Mounger has been placed on administrative leave without pay.
Mounger had been recognized in the past for having the most drinking-and-driving arrests in the department. He won the Chief's Award for DUI arrests in 2009 for having the most DUI arrests in 2008, when he had 42. In 2007, Mounger arrested some 60 drivers.
In a 2008 interview with the Daily Press, Mounger said he was determined to boost the number of DUI arrests after being assigned to the "target rich" Jefferson Avenue area of the South Precinct.
"In my own mind, I felt that DUI enforcement was an ignored problem," he said at the time. "I thought I'd take it on myself to see if I could get more DUIs on the precinct."
He continued, "I got aggressive and I kept thinking about something a previous officer when I was a young rookie told me, that I should identify a problem, go after it and try to be the best at it. I decided to make it DUIs. Before I knew it, I had 60."
Mounger first joined the department in 2005.
Copyright 2013 - Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
