A Town of Fenton man pleads guilty to killing a police officer while driving drunk.

31 year old Patrick Fitzgerald was charged in the death of Port Dickinson police officer Aldo Rossi.

Action News reporter Gabe Osterhout has the details.

Hours before 31 year old Patrick Fitzgerald was to go on trial in the death of Port Dickinson police officer Aldo Rossi, attorneys came to an agreement.

Fitzgerald plead guilty to aggravated criminally negligent homicide and aggravated driving while intoxicated.

"My client has accepted the fact that he was intoxicated...the .37 BAC. He accepted the fact that he was driving while intoxicated and then caused the death of Officer Rossi. The real issue came down to whether or not he was recklessly driving as opposed to just negligently driving," says defense attorney Ken Whiting.

During the early morning hours of July 27th, 2008, Officer Rossi was standing outside his patrol car talking to another driver near the intersection of Route 7 and Phelps Street.

That's when Fitzgerald drove by and hit Rossi.

Rossi died a short time later.

Fitzgerald's blood alcohol content was 4 times the legal limit.

"Again, my client accepts responsibility, but there are some other factors. It was very dark that night. There was no flares, there was no florescent vest on Officer Rossi. Certainly alcohol played a big part in this accident," says Whiting.

Since the crash, Fitzgerald has completed an alcohol treatment program and left the bar restaurant business.

And his attorney says while he will serve time for his crime...

Fitzgerald will have to spend the rest of his life dealing with Rossi's death.

Gabe Osterhout, WBNG-TV Action News.

Fitzgerald is scheduled to be sentenced in January.

He faces 5 years in state prison.

And 3 years post release supervision.

He is currently free on 10-thousand dollars bail.