A former Richmond narcotics detective pleaded guilty this week in Chesterfield County to his second drunken-driving charge in 20 months.

Mark E. Dunn, 47, a 22-year Richmond police veteran, was convicted Monday in Chesterfield General District Court of first-offense driving under the influence. The charge was reduced from second-offense DUI, which is a more serious charge.

He was given a 12-month suspended jail term and fined $500, with $250 suspended. His driver's license was suspended for one year, and he was ordered to complete the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program.

Although Dunn had an earlier drunken-driving conviction, he avoided a second-offense DUI conviction Monday in what his attorney described as a compromise with the prosecution. Because Dunn refused to take a blood-alcohol or breath test at the time of his arrest, authorities had no forensic evidence of his level of intoxication.

As part of a plea agreement, the prosecution withdrew a charge of refusing to take a blood or breath test.

Dunn was arrested about 3:30 a.m. Feb. 4 after two Chesterfield officers located his Dodge pickup truck at a shopping center at Midlothian Turnpike and Ruthers Road. The officers had searched for the vehicle after another officer spotted it going east in the westbound lanes of Midlothian Turnpike.

In August 2006, Dunn was fined $250 and given a 60-day suspended jail term after being caught driving under the influence at Midlothian Turnpike and Huguenot Road. He was driving an unmarked police car when it struck the rear of another vehicle at the traffic light.

Dunn has been terminated from the force. His attorney said he was a valued narcotics investigator who had acquired numerous police commendations and citations.
Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or mbowes@timesdispatch.com.