LAWRENCE — A Lawrence District Court jury on Monday found former Lowell police officer Eric Wayne not guilty of a 2013 drunken-driving arrest in Lowell.

But Wayne, 42, of Lowell, still faces his biggest legal challenge with pending manslaughter and motor-vehicle homicide charges in connection with an Aug. 23, 2014, crash on Route 110 in Methuen that left one person dead and another seriously injured.

In the 2013 Lowell case, a Lawrence District Court jury on Monday took less than 20 minutes, after a one-day trial, to find Wayne not guilty of operating under the influence — first offense in his July 4, 2013, arrest by his own department.

After Wayne’s arrest, the case was transferred to Lawrence from Lowell District Court to avoid any possible appearance of a conflict of interest. Wayne was an 18-year veteran of the Lowell Police Department until he resigned shortly before his indictment in the 2014 crash. He is also the son of the late Lowell police Detective Gerald Wayne, who died in 2009 after a battle with cancer.

In response to the verdict, defense attorney Rick Grundy, who represents Wayne in both cases, said in a statement, “Since July 4, 2013, almost two years, Eric Wayne has felt the full force of guilt by accusation. Yesterday, Eric had his day in court. … A jury returned a resounding verdict of not guilty in less than 20 minutes.”

Court documents state that Lowell police Lt. Daniel Larocque, the shift supervisor, became involved in an “administrative matter” concerning Wayne. About 11:45 a.m., after speaking to another officer about the situation, Larocque parked and waited for Wayne’s vehicle to pass by. When Wayne stopped at a red light, Larocque pulled up behind him, walked up to his vehicle and told him to pull into a nearby parking lot.

Larocque described Wayne as smelling of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and he became “irrational at times.” Wayne refused a Breathalyzer test and initially refused to take the field sobriety tests, then he agreed and failed the tests, police allege.

But in his affidavit in the court file, Wayne states he wasn’t violating any traffic laws so there was no probable cause for Larocque to stop him. Wayne stated he complied with Larocque’s order because he felt he couldn’t disregard it.

Wayne wrote that Larocque gave him an order to go with him to the hospital to submit to a drug test. Wayne refused, adding that he would speak to the department’s employee assistant program officer, Mike Miles, since retired.

Larocque told Wayne if he didn’t go with him to the hospital, he would be arrested, Wayne wrote. Wayne asked if he was being arrested for drunken driving, and Larocque allegedly responded that he had no reason to arrest Wayne for operating under the influence.

However, Larocque then proceeded to give Wayne field sobriety tests. Afterward, Larocque allegedly told Wayne he was being arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol, Wayne wrote.

While awaiting trial in the Lowell arrest, Wayne was arrested by Methuen police on Aug. 23, 2014, accused of driving drunk and slamming head-on into a car driven by Briant Paula, 26, of Lawrence. Paula was killed in the crash, his 25-year-old sister, Lois, a passenger, was seriously injured.

Wayne is free on $100,000 cash bail in that case. A suppression hearing in that case began in June 12 in Salem Superior Court. The hearing is scheduled to resume on July 1.

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