School asks police with help with one of their teachers. Arrested after car chase.
April 3, 2008 - Walter J. Dudek, 44, a Tonawanda Middle School teacher was arrested Thursday after leading police on a short chase.
Investigators say they received a phone call just before noon Thursday from school officials asking them to assist them with one of their teachers.April 4 - From the Tonawanda News: An assistant principal at the middle school called police shortly before noon because seventh-grade science teacher Walter J. Dudek, 44, a 10-year employee of the Tonawanda City School District, “was not acting right."
When the officer arrived, the teacher,(Dudek) had left the building in his vehicle.A police captain in the area spotted the vehicle and tried to pull Dudek over, but Dudek refused to pull over. Police were eventually able to box him in and take him into custody.
Police say Dudek was driving with a suspended license and under the influence of some type of drug.Police charged Dudek with: Aggravated unlicensed operation, driving while ability impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana, speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to keep right, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Dudek tested zero for alcohol.
April 4 - "TONAWANDA SCHOOLS: District suspected teacher had drug problem"
They left him in the classroom for a month after children to whom he taught science began to notice irregularities. Stumbling, slurred speech, even falling asleep during class.
