Jul 15

Jul 15 Kinston Police officer resigns after DWI arrest

A Kinston police officer has resigned following a DWI arrest stemming from an off-duty incident last month.

Sergeant Brian Biggins confirmed that Officer Sawyer Stringfield, 22, resigned from the Kinston Police Department on June 30, 2025, after being placed on administrative leave. The resignation came after an incident outside the City of Kinston involving the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

“The resignation followed an off-duty incident that occurred outside the City of Kinston involving the North Carolina Highway Patrol,” said Biggins.

According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol and reporting from WITN, Stringfield was arrested on June 27 following a single-vehicle crash near La Grange. He was charged with driving while impaired, having an open container of alcohol, and driving left of center. A citation indicated that Stringfield admitted to consuming six to eight beers, one of them while driving, and registered a blood alcohol content of 0.12, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08.

Stringfield joined the Kinston Police Department in late 2023 and was released after posting a $1,000 bond.

For further details on the incident, the North Carolina Highway Patrol is the investigating agency.

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