Facing a formal arraignment in March on charges of driving under the influence, driving under influence of a controlled substance and harassment, Whitpain Township Police officer Gerald Schwartz was relieved of his duty following the unanimous approval of a settlement and release agreement by the Whitpain Board of Supervisors on Tuesday night.

The board, which only identified the officer as "Badge #24," declined to comment on the termination and refused to hear public comment, but a source within the law enforcement community confirmed to Patch that the badge number belonged to Schwartz.

The charges stem from an August 27 incident in Whitemarsh Township, in which the Whitemarsh Police Department allege that Schwartz was driving under the influence and had physically harassed his wife following a dispute in a local bar.

According to published reports, the dispute between Schwartz and his wife continued as he drove his yellow Dodge Charger away from the bar.  Schwartz eventually pulled his vehicle over along the 500 block of Bethlehem Pike, and which point his wife fled the vehicle and dialed 9-1-1.

When officers from the Whitemarsh Police Department arrived to the scene, they described Schwartz as being visibly intoxicated, and a blood test would later show that Schwartz had trace amounts of oxycodone in his blood stream, as well as a blood-alcohol content of .26 percent, which is more than three-times the legal limit in Pennsylvania.

Schwartz was ordered to stand trial by District Court Judge Deborah Lukens at a preliminary hearing in January, and his formal arraignment at the Montgomery County Courthouse is scheduled for March 14 at 9:30 a.m., according to county records.

Schwartz is currently free on $2,000 unsecured bail.