A Canton Police Department officer is on administrative restricted duty after Jackson Township Police found him passed out behind the wheel of his own car, according to police reports.
Officers responded to the parking lot of Mission BBQ on March 17 at 6:15 p.m. and found 37-year-old Billy Lott passed out in the front seat.
Employees of the restaurant said Lott had been asleep inside the running car for about five hours before they called police. They said he revved the engine while he was asleep and they were afraid the car may slip into gear.
The police report said when officers arrived they found Lott, who was off duty during the incident, lying in the driver's seat with blood shot eyes and slurred speech.
When officers asked what he was doing Lott responded and said, "sleeping it off."
The Canton officer said he had been drinking at the bar next door and he was trying to do the right thing by not driving. He told officers he was waiting for his fiancée to get off of work.
When officers asked Lott to take a field sobriety test he refused and was arrested. He was cited for physical control, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Lott pleaded not guilty and will be back in court on April 11 for a pre-trial hearing.
Meanwhile, the Canton police chief said Lott has been placed on administrative restricted duty until the investigation is completed.
