Wenatchee Police Officer Shielded Wife From Potential DUI

A Wenatchee Police Officer received a four-day suspension without pay earlier this year for pulling over his wife and failing to investigate the stop as a potential DUI.

Wenatchee Police Department conducted an internal investigation of Officer Scott Moen for a stop taking place December 19, 2024. The department filed a report Jan. 27.

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Captain Brian Chance wrote the report and said he received a call from Sgt. Mark Ward regarding the potential policy violation. He says all information available clearly showed Officer Moen did not investigate the traffic stop as a possible DUI.

Moen pulled his wife over at approximately 7:50 p.m. Dec. 19 when he suspected she drove under the influence as part of a traffic stop near the intersection of Crescent Street and Ferry Street. The report says Moen did not initially recognize his wife as the su­spect of the stop.

An intial transmission to RiverCom did not include a vehicle plate or description.

The report says "Ofc. Moen took several deliberate steps to at least partically conceal the situation from his supervisor, shift mates, and other law enforcement officers working that night. Some of those steps included removing and not wearing his [body camera] during the contact, not calling out the license plate of the bvehicle, changing his status from on a traffic stop to a detail and indicating he was 'Code 4' on the contact."

Moen allegedly said in his interview he took his wife's keys and had her father pick her up.

Chance wrote in the report, "When talking to Sgt. Ward, Ofc. Moen said something like, 'we can't afford this' with regard to the cost of [his wife] getting another DUI." She pled guilty to DUI in Chelan County District Court in August 2021.

Correct procedure would have been for Moen to immediately notify his supervisor about the conflict of interest and for an uninvolved employee to handle the matter.
Moen is still employed at the department and has returned to duty.