Hockley deputy resigns after arrest

LEVELLAND - A Hockley County sheriff's deputy resigned Wednesday morning following his arrest for driving drunk early Tuesday morning.

C.J. Peterson, a deputy in the warrants division, was charged with driving while intoxicated, a first offense Class B misdemeanor.

At around 4 a.m. Tuesday, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper arrested 32-year-old Peterson, who was off duty and driving his personal vehicle.

Later that morning, Peterson posted a $500 bond and was released.

He was also placed on administrative leave.

The sheriff's office had been conducting an administrative review on Peterson's employment status, but that ended after Peterson submitted his resignation letter, said Paul Scarborough, chief deputy.

Scarborough said Peterson had been a peace officer since 2007. He worked in the warrants division for about five months and had worked in the Hockley County Jail for a few months before that.

If convicted of the misdemeanor, he could face a term of no more than 180 days in the county jail and a possible fine not to exceed $2,000.

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