A would-be Columbus police officer withdrew his application Monday after he was charged with several offenses during a weekend traffic stop.
Columbus police arrested Benjamin Porter, 32, on charges of driving under the influence, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest early Sunday. An officer pulled him over at the intersection of Highways 69 and 182, according to information the city released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.
Porter also resigned Monday from his position as a Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority employee, where city Human Resources Director Pat Mitchell said he had worked for about seven years. Porter was working out his notice with CLRA, city officials said, while he awaited final approval as a CPD officer.
The city council had approved hiring Porter at CPD on Oct. 3, pending his completion of pre-employment screenings such as a drug test, physical and additional background checks. City Public Information Officer Joe Dillon said Porter was only partially through that process and had not yet been sworn in as an officer or issued a uniform.
Porter was booked in Lowndes County Adult Detention Center but has since been released.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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