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Police Chief Armando Perez said he had little choice but to fire Officer Omar Jimenez, 34, following an Internal Affairs investigation into the September 24, 2016, incident.
A 10-year-member of the force, Jimenez was off duty and intoxicated when he struck a fire hydrant on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport, the chief said.
He then fled the scene in his car and arrived at the Circle Motor Inn in Fairfield and assaulted a man. The victim was badly injured and was hospitalized, undergoing surgery to repair broken facial bones, police said.
The investigation revealed numerous violations of the code of conduct that governs how Bridgeport Police behave on and off duty, the chief said.
He had previously failed a drug test so this was also the second offense, he added.
"This is an unfortunate incident that in no way reflects on the professionalism and dedication of the men and women of the Bridgeport Police Department," said Perez. "It is never easy to terminate one of my own officers, but Officer Jimenez left me little choice.
"As Chief of Police, I have a sworn duty to uphold basic standards of conduct for the Bridgeport Police Department. The good people of Bridgeport deserve nothing less. If any officer cannot live by those rules, then they cannot be a member of the Bridgeport Police Department."
The criminal charges filed by both the Fairfield and Bridgeport police departments were recently dropped after he completed a pretrial probation accelerated rehabilitation program.
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