Former Riverside Police Chief Had 4 Drinks At Topless Club Before Crash

COLTON – Security video showsRiverside Police Chief Russ Leach having drinks Super Bowl Sunday at Club 215, a topless bar in Colton.

“No problems with his car. He parks the car with no incident. He gets out or the car and walks into the club,” says the club’s attorney Roger Diamond.

Diamond says Leach had four drinks of scotch in a 3 hour span, including one watered down drink and some food.

“They said he conducted himself in a very civilized manor. He’s very polite he wasn’t drunk, he wasn’t loud, he wasn’t obnoxious. He was a gentleman,” says Diamond.

The attorney says Leach had his last drink an hour and a half before he left.

Security video shows him leaving alone just before 2 a.m., an hour before the crash.

Diamond says Leach didn’t appear to be drunk when he left.

“We didn’t of course take or administer a blood or breath test. But he appeared to be fine,” says Diamond.

There’s 22 cameras in and around the club.

They show Leach from 9-30 p.m. to just about 2 o’clock in the morning.

The club owner voluntarily surrendered that video to the California Highway Patrol who’s conducting the investigation.

According to a Riverside Police report, Leach crashed into a fire hydrant and drove three miles before a pair of patrol officers stopped him.

The officer’s said Leach had been drinking but didn’t give him field sobriety test.

Leach said he doesn’t remember everything that happened but medication could have contributed.

The C.H.P. said they won’t comment on the investigation until it’s finished.

They hope to have it finished by next week.

The Riverside City Attorney and Mayor didn’t return our calls.

The city issued a statement last week, saying Leach retired for medical reasons.