A Hawk Point police officer facing multiple driving while intoxicated charges pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser offense in one of the two cases.

Nickolas Schnelle, 27, plead guilty in a St. Louis County court to a charge of operating a motor vehicle in careless and imprudent manner. The judge ordered him to pay court costs and a fine of $468.50 to the municipal ordinance violation.

Schnelle was charged with DWI after refused a breathalyzer when a Maryland Heights police officer stopped him on March 10, 2024, according to court records. Months later, Schnelle was charged with another DWI, this time in Lincoln County.

In both cases, the Department of Revenue issued an automatic suspension of Schnelle’s license after his refusal to submit to sobriety tests. Schnelle successfully filed 12 stays of sentencing in the Maryland Heights case and one in Lincoln County to avoid losing his license.

Schnelle has a hearing July 31 in St. Louis County regarding the Director of Revenue case and another in Lincoln County on Aug. 1. His hearing on the DWI charged in Lincoln County is scheduled for July 1.

In the meantime, Schnelle is still employed part-time at the Hawk Point police department but is not allowed to drive patrol cars at the request of the city’s insurance carrier.

Assistant Police Chief Tyler Schmieg previously told the Lincoln County Journal when he hired Schnelle one month after his first arrest, Schnelle mentioned the Maryland Heights’ DWI arrest during the interview process and that he had no complaints with Schnelle’s work performance.

The Hawk Point police department declined comment at this time citing a no comment request from the Board of Aldermen.