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Apr. 12, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Addiction trips up former 'Top Cop'

High-speed chase led to crash, painkiller dependence

By SCOTT WYLAND
REVIEW-JOURNAL

A one-time Nevada "Top Cop" found his addiction to painkillers spiraling out of control after he was severely injured in a wreck during a high-speed chase.

While serving as a Las Vegas police officer, James L. Breed drove to Kingman, Ariz., last year and passed about 40 false prescriptions for $24,400 in pain pills to several pharmacies, according to court records.

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Breed, 40, was arrested in June on multiple charges of illegally buying narcotics. Five months later he resigned from the force, ending a 15-year career in which he earned the Metropolitan Police Department's Medal of Honor and the Top Cop award in 2005.

Breed was sentenced to four years' probation on March 31 in Mohave County Superior Court and must serve 500 hours of community service. Breed, who lives in the Las Vegas area, also must serve six months of house arrest or do an additional 350 hours of service.

A remorseful Breed sought to explain his actions in a pre-sentencing statement.

"There is no possible way ... that I can express my regret and shame," the former patrol officer wrote. "I apologize to the court, its officers and the people of Arizona."

Las Vegas police said they couldn't comment because Breed is no longer on the force.

In the written statement, Breed told of colliding with a suspect during a car chase in 2001, breaking his collar bone and right wrist. The injuries required surgery and 40-plus nerve injections, he said.

His tolerance to his medication grew over the years, he said, and he needed larger doses to numb the pain.

Still, he managed to do his job well enough to garner the Top Cop award. The National Association of Police Organizations chooses one to four winners from each state, based on exemplary work, and presents the awards in Washington, D.C.

Breed said he worried that the company supplying the pain pills was in peril because of nationwide lawsuits. He decided to stock up on the medication by photocopying prescriptions from doctors in Nevada and Arizona.

Kingman police arrested him June 12 while he was trying to pick up a bottle of pills using a forged prescription.

He confessed to having bought roxicodone and oxycontin unlawfully from several area drug stores, dating back six months.

"I knew I screwed up terribly but was relieved that it was over," Breed wrote.

Since resigning, Breed, a divorced father of two children, has become a union plumber. He told the court he makes $65,000 yearly.

In the pre-sentencing statement, a probation officer noted that Breed's injuries in the line of duty led to his addiction and unlawful actions.

"This does not excuse his actions," probation officer Jim Starnes said. "It is well-known throughout the police agencies that officers are held to a different standard of professionalism and honesty."

Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: susan t wrote on April 17, 2008 09:39 PM: Ya know another thing to blame people for. People are people. So he was a cop, yes he was to uphold the law. But was he a robot?....No. I am so sure everyone will be miffed by this,but honestly when people have power they tend to abuse it at times. I have to have double knee replacement surgery and arthritis throughout my body. Also Fibromyalgia. Plus the spine problems and have always had low tollerances for pain. Even with teeth being drilled! Sad to say I am a single mom and have to walk and need my medication to function at this point. It angers me that I am at this point, but I make it day by day with my medicine. God bless people that have pain, God gets me through the rest. If people start realizing that they need to get help then thats what needs to happen. Any addiction even to slot machines drain you till you feel like you have no control. But to be able to move that is another story. We need to be held accountable for our actions though especially when as a public servant you have to uphold integrity to do the correct things, but like I said we are not robots, you can say more vut what is the point. SoShoCKed wrote on April 15, 2008 09:49 PM: Typical corrupt Nevada politics. There are people sitting in federal prison for 10 years for so much less than this. There are people at that rathole ESP for less than this, dying with no help or medicine. This TOP cop( dopehead) is no better than any other criminal. No wonder Nevada is now the laughingstock of the country. Mamamia wrote on April 12, 2008 07:20 PM: This "cop" was a dishonor before he was addicted, because it takes more than just "pain" to drive someone to take "illegal drugs". What a sissy excuse. Behavior relects personality, and vice versa; there is a cure for druggies. It's called "Honor". As for the idiot signed as E.T. lumping cigarettes in with illegal drugs, well, I never heard of a cigarette smoker committing a crime and blaming it on cigarette addiction. Ya' think? Herb wrote on April 12, 2008 03:12 PM: We need to quit looking at drug addicts as victims. Drug addiction is not a "disease". It's an expression of a valueless, corrupt soul. Druggies should be locked up, especially meth tweakers. aaron wrote on April 12, 2008 11:40 AM: Oh please you idiots. He's an addict. Why put him in jail? Put him on probation and get him in treatment. Let him be productive instead of a burden on society. It's not like he's out robbing people to support his habit. And I would say the same if he was on crack and he wasn't an ex-cop. jackson wrote on April 12, 2008 08:43 AM: I am sick of the self serving commments made by drug addicts to justify crime to support their drug addiction. The sentence given to him is a joke, obviously the judge bought this self serving crap. This is why there should be mandatory drug sentencing laws. If you forge prescriptions, you get X amount of jail time. Who cares if he has children to support? It is obvious he is not really doing that, he is too busy spending time and money on illegal drugs to support his habit. This story was self serving, and another sob story by an addict justifying illegal behavior. Why does the LVRJ continue to write stories with these pro-addict slants? Roger wrote on April 12, 2008 07:24 AM: Wonder how many people this guy locked up for posession of pot? Hmmmm...Cops ARE no better than the rest of us. Another drug war whore who turned out to be part of his own problem... posse wrote on April 12, 2008 06:28 AM: Breed, 40, was arrested in June on multiple charges of illegally buying narcotics. Five months later he resigned from the force, ending a 15-year career in which he earned the Metropolitan Police Department's Medal of Honor and the Top Cop award in 2005. Breed was sentenced to four years' probation on March 31 What would average Joe got? Signatory Plumbing Contractor wrote on April 12, 2008 05:42 AM: Great 525... just GREAT !! I try to run a Union Shop, and you guys continue to send me guys like this. 15 years as a cop, yet, he qualifies to make 65k as a Plumber. This is just more proof that the Plumbers Union will take any drugged up, unqualified loser that applies !! Just Effin' HILARIOUS !! Thanks for all your help guys !! ET wrote on April 12, 2008 02:13 AM: We hope he's cured.Drugs like cigarettes ,booze, are all very powerful addictions.