DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Delray Beach police said a detective with their department was arrested Thursday on a charge of driving under the influence following an overnight crash with a sheriff's office vehicle.
Officials said the wreck occurred at 1 a.m. near Melaleuca Lane and Military Trail.
Police said Detective Luis Bonet was off duty when he was driving his assigned unmarked police vehicle and hit a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office vehicle.
No one involved in the crash was injured.
Police spokesman Ted White said Bonet has been placed on administrative leave with pay. He has been with the Delray Beach Police Department since June 26, 2017.
"I would like to express my disappointment in Detective Bonet's actions and want to reassure the public this behavior is not in line with the values of the Delray Beach Police Department. Driving while impaired is a serious crime. Thankfully, no one was injured," Chief Javaro Sims said in a written statement.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is conducting the investigation.
Bonet was the first recipient of the Christine Braswell scholarship in 2018, which was set up in the name of the former officer to help future members of the department pay for academy training.
Braswell, who was an accomplished sniper and member of the Delray Beach SWAT team, helped train Bonet when he was a cadet.
She was later hit and killed by a DUI driver in a 2017 crash while on vacation in Key West.
Braswell's mother said she felt heartsick when she saw the news about Bonet's arrest.
"(The news of the arrest) came over the iPad," said Barbara Braswell, who calls Delray Beach Police family. "It broke my heart. It just broke my heart."
To help keep Christine's memory alive, Barbara launched the scholarship in her daughter's name.
"The department told me that she really thought (Bonet) was up and coming, that he was going to make a very good officer," Barbara Braswell said.
She wonders how a promising young officer, who looked up to her daughter, could allegedly make the decision to drink and drive.
"I can't process it, like I said. All I can do is pray for him," Barbara Braswell said.
