It’s probably not the best idea for a sheriff’s deputy to drive to a bar in their patrol car, get intoxicated, and then drive with the dashcam recording, a lesson that one Mendocino County sheriff's deputy is currently learning all too well.

A Mendocino County Sheriff's Office sergeant realized something was amiss last Thursday, upon arriving to work and finding one of the department's patrol cars pretty badly damaged on the passenger’s side. According to KPIX, “upon further investigation,” that sergeant came to realize that one of the department’s deputies failed to report the damage as is required by department policy.

And that “further investigation” seems to be that the sergeant reviewed the vehicle’s dashcam footage. And per KPIX, that footage seemed to show the deputy had allegedly driven while intoxicated and had a hit-and-run.

The dashcam footage allegedly indicates that the deputy got into the patrol vehicle while off-duty and drove to a bar in Willitts last Thursday. Upon leaving the bar, the footage reportedly shows that the deputy accidentally rammed into a guardrail on Sherwood Road and then drove away from the scene.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is not allowed to investigate their own, so the investigation was referred to the California Highway Patrol. That agency is investigating the deputy on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run.

The deputy is not named, though has reportedly been on the force for three years. The individual has been placed on administrative leave and has had their peace officer status suspended.

Ayone with information about what may have happened on Sherwood Road in Mendocino County last Thursday is asked to call the Sheriff's Office Communications Center at (707) 463-4086, or the office’s non-emergency tip line at (707) 234-2100.

Related: Two Oakland PD Officers Arrested for Driving Under the Influence — While on Duty [SFist]

Image: Mendocino Sheriff via Facebook