A set of unusual circumstances on February 25 has resulted in a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer being taken off the job.
According to officials, trooper Leslie C. Hoover was pulled over on John Dodd Road in Spartanburg County on suspicion of driving under the influence after another motorist called 911 to report an Isuzu Rodeo swerving erratically in heavy rush hour traffic on Interstate 26 shortly after 6:30 p.m. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Hoover failed a field sobriety test and refused to submit to a breathalyzer test. Police charged him with DUI.
Hoover probably wishes that’s all there was to the story.
On the following day, Hoover appeared before a magistrate and was released on his own recognizance. But his legal woes didn’t stir up near as much discussion as his appearance when he entered the jail.
According to an anonymous high-ranking official, he saw Hoover brought into the jail “wearing a red dress.” The official said that Hoover was also wearing a bra and was seen “adjusting his bra” during the wait to be processed. He also said Hoover had a pair of thong panties “in his possession.”
That would explain why the man who called 911 on the interstate referred to Hoover as a “she” in the call. The man, who remained anonymous, said that he “appeared to be wearing a blonde wig” as he came flying past him.
According to Department of Public Safety spokesperson Sid Gauden, Hoover is from Lexington County and was on his personal time when the arrest occurred. He said Hoover was terminated on February 26 after 30 years of service. He said Hoover retired in 2000, but returned in 2002 as a member of the patrol’s Insurance Enforcement Team, which works with the Department of Motor Vehicles to seize license plates from car owners who have allowed their insurance coverage to lapse.
