A rookie San Diego police officer, accused of being drunk in public and waving her police-issued gun inside a bar, has decided police work is just not for her.
Christine Thurston, 23, resigned Thursday according to a San Diego police spokesperson.
Thurston was “extremely drunk” at Hennessey's Tavern in Carlsbad last Friday night according to witnesses. She started rummaging through her purse and pulled out the gun.
“I just had a young lady pull a gun out of her purse," the manager of Hennessey’s told a 911 dispatcher Friday night. "She pulled it out of her purse and held it up in the air."
A customer at the bar pulled the gun out of Thurston’s hands, according to Carlsbad police.
"It appeared that she was so intoxicated that she did no really understand what was going on or what she was doing," said Capt. Neil Gallucci with Carlsbad police.
Thurstono was taken outside and after Carlsbad police arrived they took her to Carlsbad police headquarters and released her to a family member.
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Off-duty police officers are allowed to carry guns, but are warned to take extra precaution. “We really discourage officers from carrying firearms when they are going to places like bars,” said Capt. Gallucci. “Alcohol and guns are not a good mix.”
Thurston had been working in the San Diego police department less than a year, according to Capt. Gallucci. She faces a misdemeanor charge of being drunk in public. She's not being charged with brandishing a weapon, because, according to Carlsbad police, she didn't actually threaten anyone.
"I think that she made the choice in the best interest of the community and the department," police chief William Lansdowne said of her resignation. "I wish her the best."
