Cops: Ex-"Prison Break" Actor Was DUI

The Beverly Hills Police Department announced Wednesday evening that it will be seeking to file felony charges, including gross vehicular manslaughter, against actor Lane Garrison.

After a six-week investigation, authorities determined that Garrison, 26, was "traveling well above the posted 25 mph speed limit on Dec. 2, 2006, when the vehicle he was driving crashed into a tree."

The collision killed Beverly Hills High School student Vahaghn Setian, 17, and injured two 15-year-old girls, all of whom were riding in the vehicle.

Police chief David Snowden told reporters that Garrison was at a party with the minors, and then attempted to buy liquor, but was turned down because the market does not sell alcohol after 11 p.m.

The group then went to a second market before getting into the fatal accident.

The investigation revealed that Garrison's blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.

Police also determined that Garrison was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the collision.

Traffic investigators recommended the following charges to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office:

• Gross vehicular manslaughter with an enhancement for causing bodily injury or death to more than one victim.
  
• Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs causing injury with enhancements for having a blood/alcohol level in excess of 0.15 percent.
  
• Contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

He questioned why the police held the news conference, and said it in effect created a public trial of his client before he was even charged with a crime.

"They had completed the investigation, submitted their recommendations to the DA, and the DA (will decide whether) to file charges. Then we have a trial," he said. "This is something totally foreign to us. They have a public trial under the guise of having a news conference and announce the guy is basically guilty."

"Someone should ask the police why they had the news conference, other than for self-glorification," he added.

Beverly Hills Public Information officer Lieutenant Mitch McCann was unavailable for comment.

Braun said that Garrison is aware of the results of the investigation and that they have made arrangements for him to surrender if charges are filed. But he added that Garrison's thoughts are not focused on himself.

"He's basically still more focused on the young man who died. Morally he's focused on what he should be focused on," he said.

Garrison, a Dallas native, played the prison snitch "Tweener" on the Fox drama series "Prison Break." He has worked mainly in television but appears in the upcoming film "Shooter," due out next year.