Former Alexandria Police Chief Pleads Guilty

Alexandria's former police chief pleaded guilty Friday to driving while intoxicated, just weeks after being arrested following a car crash.

David Baker will serve five days in jail, pay a $300 fine and have his Virginia driving priveleges suspended. He'll surrender to the sheriff by 6 p.m.

Baker resigned in late July after police said he was involved in a car crash and registered a blood alcohol level of 0.19 percent. The point at which one is considered "legally drunk" in Virginia is 0.08 percent.

Baker, 58, was driving an unmarked City of Alexandria car and crashed near the intersection of Interstate 66 and North Fairfax Drive at about 11 p.m. Saturday. The driver of the other car suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

Baker was placed on paid leave, and Alexandria Executive Deputy Chief of Police Earl Cook was made acting chief of police.

City leaders said getting behind the wheel after drinking was out of character for Baker, who until now had an unblemished record as Alexandria's top cop.

His police career began in September of 1970 when he joined the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department.

After he retired from the D.C. force as a captain assigned to the special operations division in February 1991, he was chosen to fill a vacant deputy chief position in the Alexandria Police Department. He became chief of police in September 2006.
 

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