WPB officer placed on leave after alleged DUI crash, ER altercation with deputies

A West Palm Beach police officer was hospitalized and placed on administrative leave after a weekend chain of events that began with a multi-vehicle suspected DUI crash and escalated into a violent struggle with sheriff's deputies inside an emergency room. According to a probable cause affidavit by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office , West Palm Beach Police Officer Timothy Joseph Walsh, 52, was taken into custody early Saturday morning, June 6. He faces charges of felony battery on a law enforcement officer, felony resisting an officer with violence, misdemeanor driving under the influence causing property damage, and misdemeanor assault on specified personnel. Following Walsh's arrest, a spokesperson for the West Palm Beach Police Department confirmed that Walsh was pulled from active duty. In an official statement, the WPBPD made it clear that the department is treating the matter with extreme urgency, stating that it holds all employees to the highest standards of professionalism and conduct. WPBPD that Walsh's conduct is entirely inconsistent with those standards and announced that, as a result, Walsh was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. The West Palm Beach Police Department holds all employees to the highest standards of professionalism and conduct. This conduct is inconsistent with those standards. As a result, the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. According to probable cause affidavits, the incident began late Friday night, June 5, at 11:35 p.m. Sheriff's deputies responded to a severe intersection collision at SW 18th Street and Carolwood Lane in unincorporated Boca Raton . Investigators arrived to find a heavily damaged white 2026 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and a black 2025 Honda Prologue sitting in the middle of the roadway. Sworn witness statements from the occupants of the Honda detailed that the Toyota pickup was traveling eastbound in the right lane when it activated its right turn signal as if to turn into a housing development. Instead of turning, the pickup suddenly cut left across two full lanes of traffic, directly into the path of the Honda. The Honda struck the driver's side doors of Walsh's pickup truck with enough force to deploy its front airbags, causing disabling damage to both vehicles. Occupants in the Honda told responding deputies that the driver of the pickup truck appeared highly intoxicated and was slurring his words. Walsh, identified as the driver of the pickup, was transported by emergency medical personnel to West Boca Medical Center for evaluation. However, the situation turned volatile just past midnight inside the hospital emergency room. While a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy was waiting with Walsh for a specialized DUI investigator to arrive, a dispute arose regarding hospital visitation and law enforcement's need to keep an un-investigated DUI suspect under continuous observation. See also: Boynton Beach crash closes both directions of Gateway Boulevard This friction allegedly triggered an aggressive reaction from Walsh. According to the felony arrest report, Walsh became angry and confrontational, scooting to the edge of his hospital bed toward the deputy. When given a lawful command to stay seated, Walsh ignored it and continued to advance. The deputy placed his hands on Walsh's chest to maintain distance, at which point Walsh aggressively shoved the deputy. According to the affidavit, a violent struggle ensued as Walsh reportedly used his 230-pound frame to lunge forward, actively pulling his wrists apart to prevent being handcuffed. It ultimately took multiple sheriff's deputies, and hospital medical staff to restrain and successfully handcuff him. Walsh also allegedly made threats during the altercation that resulted in an additional misdemeanor assault charge. After the altercation, the DUI investigator attempted to interview Walsh, noting that a strong and obvious odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage filled the hospital room and intensified whenever Walsh spoke. The investigator reported that Walsh’s eyes were red, glassy, and watery, his speech was thick and slurred, and his attitude remained belligerent and uncooperative. Due to his medical state and confinement to a hospital bed, roadside sobriety exercises could not be performed, and Walsh ultimately refused to submit to a lawful blood test to determine his blood-alcohol content. Walsh remained at West Boca Medical Center under medical care and the watch of law enforcement following the incident. Court records indicate his first appearance is scheduled for June 11 at 10 a.m. Previous DUI case Records reviewed by CBS12 News show this is not Walsh's first DUI-related arrest. In 2018, Walsh was arrested in Broward County following a single-vehicle crash in Pompano Beach after his vehicle struck a tree. According to a lawsuit Walsh later filed against the Broward Sheriff's Office, he told investigators he crashed while reaching for a cellphone that had fallen from the passenger seat. Walsh alleged he was injured in the crash and spent more than an hour waiting for a tow truck before law enforcement arrived. In court filings, Walsh claimed that while waiting, he returned home, treated his injuries and consumed alcohol after the crash had already occurred. Walsh was ultimately arrested on DUI-related charges and refused a breath test. According to the lawsuit, prosecutors later declined to pursue criminal charges. Walsh later challenged the suspension of his driver's license and filed a civil lawsuit against Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony and two deputies involved in the investigation, alleging false arrest, fabricated evidence, perjured testimony and violations of his civil rights. Court records show Walsh argued deputies wrongly concluded he was impaired while driving despite witness statements and other evidence he claimed supported his account of the crash. The allegations contained in Walsh's lawsuit were disputed by the defendants. The 2018 incident is separate from the current Palm Beach County case. CBS12 News requested Walsh's personnel file from the West Palm Beach Police Department, including any disciplinary history, internal affairs investigations and records related to the department's decision to place him on administrative leave. CBS12 News also requested body camera footage from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office related to both the crash investigation and the hospital altercation. In addition, CBS12 News reached out to Walsh seeking comment regarding the allegations. As of publication, no response had been received.