By admin 
APACHE COUNTY, AZ (AZFamily) — The son of a former Apache County sheriff has been charged with driving under the influence and child abuse after being pulled over with his 8-year-old son in the back seat, according to a criminal complaint.
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Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers pulled over Bo Hounshell last Friday. The criminal complaint lists two felony charges: driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and child abuse.
Two sources and Bo Hounshell’s father, Brian Hounshell, said Bo’s 8-year-old son was in the car at the time. They said Bo was driving home from the county fair just before 11 p.m. when a trooper pulled him over. They were in a county vehicle.
Brian Hounshell said Bo is a drone pilot for the county’s Public Works Department. He could not say whether his son was working at the time or why he was driving a county vehicle.
Attorney weighs in on vehicle question
Flynn Carey, a longtime criminal defense attorney not connected to the case, said the county vehicle does not change the legal standing of the case.
“It doesn’t change anything from a legality perspective. A DUI can be committed in pretty much any motor vehicle,” Carey said.
Family well known in community
The Hounshells are well known in the community. Brian Hounshell had been the Apache County sheriff before he was convicted of felony theft in a corruption case. He now works for the county as Director of Emergency Management.
The criminal complaint was stamped by the Clerk of Superior Court, Annell Hounshell, who is Bo’s mother.
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Given the conflicts, Carey was asked whether the case would be moved to another county.
“Often in cases where there is a public figure — a law enforcement officer who is specifically tied to the community or someone with ties to the county or the court — it’s not out of the ordinary that kinds of things are considered,” Carey said.
County leaders, including the county manager, were contacted to determine Bo Hounshell’s status, including whether he is on administrative leave or whether the county is conducting an internal review. Several employees who answered the phone said most of the county was off on Friday.
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