Liam Ridgewell_Lake Oswego Court.JPG

Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell (right) appears in Lake Oswego City Hall with his attorney Sean Riddell on Dec. 7, 2016 for a court hearing to suppress evidence related to an October 2016 crash involving a teammate.

(Everton Bailey Jr./The Oregonian)

A Lake Oswego Municipal Court judge granted a motion to suppress evidence against Portland Timbers' captain Liam Ridgewell related to his October arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.

In a written opinion dated Sunday, Judge William Bruce Shepley said he believes Ridgewell's traffic stop by two Lake Oswego police officers on Oct. 24 was illegal because it wasn't supported by probable cause of a violation or reasonable suspicion that the soccer player had or was going to witness a crime.

The city failed to prove either officer believed Ridgewell committed any crimes, Shepley wrote. Also, the city wasn't able to disprove that one officer gave Ridgewell the impression he could call someone to drive him home if he consented to field sobriety tests.

Shepley said he didn't believe there was intentional misconduct from Officers James Euscher or Joshua Price and claimed they "did their best in a strange moment."

"Frankly, I found Officer Euscher's conduct and testimony to be offered in good faith," the judge wrote. "I heard no evidence to suggest Officer Price had conducted himself improperly either. Both officers came upon an unusual event that evening."

Lake Oswego City Prosecutor Jerry Seeberger didn't respond to a request for comment Monday. Ridgewell's attorneys, Sean Riddell and Christine Mascal, declined to comment. The Municipal Court supervisor said she didn't know if the case would continue to be pursued.

Ridgewell, 32, is accused of driving under the influence of intoxicants and refusal of a breath test.

Police said Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson rear-ended another car near Pilkington Road and Willow Lane then called Ridgewell for help. Ridgewell told police he was driving home after golfing then getting food and drinks at a Lake Oswego bar with Gleeson when he saw the goalkeeper had crashed his BMW and pulled over.

The driver Gleeson rear-ended left the scene before police arrived.

Audio and dash-cam video played in court during a Dec. 7 hearing shows Euscher told a supervisor about three minutes after arriving that he didn't think Ridgewell witnessed the crash and planned to send him home. But the officer testified that didn't happen because the supervisor told him to help Price question Gleeson at the scene.

Ridgewell waited around and was questioned for about another 10 minutes when Euscher asked him to perform an eye test to determine if he could drive home. Ridgewell agreed to take the test. Both soccer players were arrested afterward.

Ridgewell's attorneys argued that once Euscher expressed his intention to send Ridgewell on his way, police should have made it clear to Ridgewell that he could leave. All evidence received after the supervisor call should be suppressed, they said.

Gleeson, 26, pleaded no contest last month to driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. He also pleaded guilty to refusing to take a breath test. He was allowed to enter a one-year alcohol diversion program.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey