Johnson Creek officer investigated after OWI arrest

The Oconomowoc Police Department arrested Peter Chin, then a Johnson Creek cop, for drunk driving in May. The Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office noted that Chin is the subject of a criminal investigation connected to the incident. His last day on the job was June 29, according to the Village of Johnson Creek.

It’s not clear if he resigned or was terminated.

Unlike in most other states, in Wisconsin, a first-offense OWI is not considered a crime. A conviction results in a fine but no jail time. Chin’s citation includes a $1,000 ticket.

The Oconomowoc Police Department repeatedly denied The Badger Project’s open records request for documents from the arrest.

“The investigation is ongoing, and the reports have been forwarded to the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office for review,” Oconomowoc Police Chief James Pfister wrote in a letter to The Badger Project.

The Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office told The Badger Project in an email that “this case is still being investigated for potential criminal charges.”

That office also did not provide records of the drunk driving incident.

Chin, fresh out of the academy, began working as an officer for the Johnson Creek Police Department in 2024, according to a community newsletter published in August of that year.

The Johnson Creek Police Chief has not responded to multiple requests for comment by email and phone, which included a question about whether Chin resigned or was fired. His defense attorney, Michael Levine, declined to comment via a receptionist.

For now, Chin is facing at least one more charge, a non-criminal traffic offense, for deviating from the designated lane. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

He is scheduled to appear for a virtual court hearing Aug. 4.

The village put a job posting for a police officer on its Facebook page the day after Chin’s employment ended.

The Badger Project is an independent, reader-supported news nonprofit in Wisconsin.