WILMINGTON — District Attorney Ben David has instructed his office to release any outstanding charges issued by one Wilmington Police Department officer who has been citing lead-foot drivers since last fall with an expired speed radar certification.
According to a letter David sent to members of New Hanover County Defense Bar, Officer Eric Lippert’s credentials lapsed in October 2021.
“There is no evidence of bad faith or malice by Officer Lippert,” the DA clarified.
WPD Chief Donny Williams noted in a release that the discovery of the expired license came from the officer, who notified the law enforcement agency of the mistake earlier in the month.
“During this time, the officer had charged speeding violations under the belief that his certification was still valid. Once I was notified, I immediately opened an investigation to look into the matter,” Williams said in a release.
All pending speeding tickets issued from last fall until July, 7, 2022, are now dismissed. An internal investigation continues on the matter.
“In a human system, mistakes will occur,” David said. “Maintaining community confidence in the system is paramount in our continued pursuit of justice.”
The DA stated other pending charges and disposed speeding tickets issued by Officer Lippert during the timeline in question will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Since the error was identified, Chief Williams has audited all radar operators in the department to ensure there weren’t other voided certifications. Results, he noted, proved it was an isolated occurrence.
Williams is looking at the policy in place to track expired certifications in order to implement new ways to prevent it from happening in the future.
“I am taking corrective action at this time and want to apologize to those directly impacted and the Wilmington community for our mistake,” Williams said in the release. “With that being said, I do believe that this officer committed a mistake of the mind, not a mistake of the heart.”
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