New Jersey officer accused of drunken driving misses Indiana state trooper's funeral

WEST LAFAYETTE — New Jersey State Police Officer Michael Kulik planned to represent his agency at Indiana State Police Trooper Peter "Bo" Stephan's funeral Friday, but he missed the service. 

He was in the Tippecanoe County Jail under suspicion of driving while intoxicated the night before the funeral.

Officers from across the country were in Indiana last week for Stephan's visitation on Thursday and the funeral on Friday. Kulik, 26, of Livingston, New Jersey, and another New Jersey State Police officer in his car were here to represent the New Jersey State Police when Kulik was arrested, according to West Lafayette police.

A West Lafayette police officer noticed a car driving slowly and hugging the center line in the area of Tapawingo Drive and Brown Street, according to police reports. Oncoming cars had to swerve to avoid the car, according to police.

West Lafayette officers stop the car about 1:05 a.m. Friday at Howard Street and River Road, according to police bulletins. Police said the vehicle Kulik was driving was not a police car.

Kulik appeared to be intoxicated, and preliminary results indicated his blood-alcohol content was 0.19 percent — more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent, according to police.

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Another officer from the New Jersey State Police Department was a passenger in the car, police said. He was not arrested.

Police booked Kulik into the Tippecanoe County Jail under suspicion of driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol content more than 0.15 percent. 

Kulik was released on his own recognizance at 12:41 p.m. Friday. Stephan's funeral started at 11 a.m., nearly hour away east of West Lafayette.

A spokesman for the New Jersey State Police said that Kulik is suspended without pay. They did not release any other information about Kulik or his status.

Reach Ron Wilkins at 765-420-5231 or at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

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