Graham County Detention Officer Charged with DUI

Early Sunday morning, A Graham County Jail detention officer drove under the influence of alcohol, fleeing from Thatcher Police officers when they came upon him having intercourse in his vehicle.

The detention officer, Kyle Kalani Beck, was arrested and booked on charges of unlawful flight, DUI, and endangerment in Graham County Jail.

A Thatcher officer, initially dispatched to assist Safford officers at a fight, returned to an area where he saw an undressed male lying on a woman in the front seat of a gray Chrysler 300. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer saw that the people were both naked. Immediately after that, the man started his car, the woman jumped out of the driver’s seat, and the driver took off and blew through a stop sign. The officer, unsure of whether he had interrupted a sexual assault, or if it was a consensual encounter, returned to his vehicle and pursued Beck.

Beck failed to respond to the officer’s lights and siren, and ran through 2 more stop signs, continuing to flee until he ultimately reached his former guardians’ residence.

Upon stopping, the officer drew his gun and ordered Back to get out of the car. Beck would not comply, and he continued to reach down near the floorboards of his vehicle. Finally, after a Safford officer arrived on the scene, they were able to pull Beck from the vehicle. They reported that he seemed to be under the influence of alcohol, and was only dressed in the woman’s “very small shorts.”

The woman also appeared to be under the influence, and said that she was in Beck’s car voluntarily until he ran from the police. At that point, she said that she requested to be let out of the car, but Beck wouldn’t stop.

When officers had Beck take a breathalyzer test, his blood alcohol content came up as .160, which is twice the legal threshold for DUI. Beck said that he was sorry, and that he only ran to get home. Upon learning that he was a detention officer at Graham County Jail, the officers informed Jail Commander Tim Graver, who gave assurance to the officers that Beck would get his own cell, and would be booked just like any other person.

Beck was booked on charges of endangerment, DUI, and unlawful flight from officers.