RALEIGH - A former state trooper who drove his car into a pond and scuffled with several police officers pleaded guilty this morning to driving while impaired.

Steven Bradley, 38, received a two-year probationary sentence from Wake District Court Judge Kristin Ruth after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of DWI and assaulting law enforcement officers in connection with the Dec. 4 incident.

Wake Assistant District Attorney Patrick Latour agreed to drop a misdemeanor child abuse charge in exchange for Bradley’s plea.

Bradley’s 18- and 7-year-old children were in the 2006 Chrysler at the time of the accident. Bradley, who had been with the patrol for 16 years, resigned shortly after the incident.

Raleigh police Officer D.V. Naumuk told Ruth that when he arrived at the pond near the intersection of Jones Franklin Road and Macedonia Road in West Raleigh, Bradley’s eyes were bloodshot and he appeared intoxicated.

Police think Bradley ran a stop sign and skidded before running off the road. The car continued through woods, running into the pond more than 100 feet off the roadway.

Bradley ignored Naumuk and walked away from him several times, until Naumuk attempted to arrest him. In a scuffle, one Raleigh police officer broke his hand when he pulled Bradley to the ground and Bradley kicked another, Naumuk said.

When Bradley was arrested and brought to the Wake County jail, he was given a breath alcohol test. He blew a 0.14 two and a half hours after the crash. The legal limit in North Carolina is 0.08.

He attended an in-patient treatment center and was ordered by Ruth to perform 24 hours of community service, as well as pay $420 in court costs and fines. Ruth also ordered that he lose his driver’s license until the Department of Motor Vehicles reinstates it.

After the hearing, Bradley apologized for his conduct.

“I just want to apologize to the arresting officers,” he said. “I’m going to move on with my life.”

Prior to the arrest, Bradley was had been in the public eye in spring 2006 when he and his wife, Lisa, participated in an Oprah Winfrey show on debt. According to the 'Oprah' Web site, the Bradleys were $170,000 in debt before undergoing a successful money makeover.

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