A longtime Bellevue police official abruptly retired late last week amid an investigation into an incident in which he used the lights on his police vehicle to avoid stopping at intersections while driving his son and two others to a school event, in violation of department policy.

Deputy Chief Michael Johnson was reportedly pulled over by Sammamish police on Oct. 24 while driving an unmarked police cruiser and using its emergency equipment while off duty. Johnson called Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett immediately after the incident, the chief said.

“He was extremely remorseful and offered no excuses. He knew his conduct was not in line with department policy, he was highly embarrassed and he immediately took responsibility,” Mylett told the Reporter.

Johnson was placed on administrative leave while Mylett began the process of asking another agency to investigate the incident and determine what, if any, regulations had been broken. In cases involving Bellevue officers, it is standard procedure to ask an outside agency to conduct the investigation.

But, Johnson’s decision to retire from the police department early essentially ended any investigation. As a result, there will not be any disciplinary action related to the recent incident on his personnel file or any other consequences related to the incident. If there was an indication the investigation would have led to criminal charges, the investigation could potentially have continued after Johnson’s retirement.

There is no information to indicate that this was anything but an isolated occurrence, Mylett said.

“He had 24 years on the police department and he was anticipating spending many, many more years on the department and perhaps someday competing for chief position. People saying he hasn’t suffered because of his lapse of judgement are wrong,” he said.

Members of the Bellevue Police Department have been involved in a handful of incidents over the last four years, including an officer letting a fellow officer he believed to be driving drunk off of the hook and lying about it last year, an extramarital affair between two officers in 2013 and two off duty officers harassing a Seattle police officer at the Seahawks game in 2012. Nobody before or since Mylett’s start as police chief in April has condoned any of the behavior that has occurred, he said.

The Bellevue Police Department has over 200 employees, and it is impossible to predict people’s poor decisions, Mylett said.

“The only thing I can do, when it does happen, is to respond swiftly, fairly and hold individuals responsible for their action,” he added.