Update: Off-duty Tri-Cities police officer arrested for DUI after hitting a parked car

A Kennewick police officer was arrested and jailed for allegedly driving drunk when he made too wide of a turn in a residential neighborhood and hit a parked car late Wednesday night.

Officer Fernando Ramos was off duty when he was heading northeast in a Jeep Wrangler and hit another Jeep on the 1000 block of North Montana Street, Benton County sheriff’s Lt. Mike Clark told the Tri-City Herald.

He crashed into the parked car on the right side of the road in the west Kennewick residential neighborhood about 9:50 p.m.

No one was inside the car, and Ramos wasn’t hurt.

Because of signs that Ramos might be impaired, Kennewick police called Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputies to respond to the crash and conduct an independent investigation, the police department posted on Thursday afternoon.

Deputies arrested Ramos and booked him into the Benton County jail for DUI, a gross misdemeanor.

He posted a bond of about $1,000 about 11 a.m. Thursday and was released, according to jail records. Benton County investigators didn’t have information about where Ramos was before the crash or whether he had worked that day.

Ramos started with the department in 2017 as a cadet, before becoming an officer in 2020.

In addition to the criminal investigation, Kennewick Police Department plans an internal investigation into the incident.

“Being a leader in the community doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off,” said Kennewick Police Chief Chris Guerrero in a statement.

“Driving under the influence is a serious offense,” he said. “KPD remains committed to equipping our officers with the tools and wellness resources they need to be professionals — on and off duty. We will learn from this, grow as an agency, and continue to provide professional police services with integrity, courage, and commitment.

The department recognizes that such incidents can impact the trust the community places in police, which they work every day to earn and maintain, the police department said.

He was the second Tri-Cities officer arrested this year for drunk driving. Off-duty Washington State Patrol Trooper Sarah Clasen was allegedly twice the legal limit when she hit and killed a motorcyclist on Highway 240 near Horn Rapids on March 1.

This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.