FARMINGTON — A full-time police officer at the University of Maine at Farmington was placed on paid administrative leave Monday following his arrest on a charge of operating under the influence.

Christopher M. Chase, 43, of Wilton was arrested Sunday by Farmington police officer Michael Lyman following a traffic stop on the Wilton Road, Shane Cote, deputy police chief, said.

Chase was not on duty but was placed on administrative leave with pay, pending further investigation, Livermore Falls Police Chief Ernest Steward Jr., said Monday.  

Steward is serving as part-time director of Public Safety/chief of police at the University of Maine at Farmington during director Brock Caton’s deployment to Afghanistan. 

Chase faced a similar charge, a Class D misdemeanor, in November 2008, when a Wilton police officer stopped him. At that time, he was serving as a deputy for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and was also off-duty.

Chase was released from Franklin County Detention Center on Monday on $310 cash bail, according to a detention center officer.

The arrest was one of three made on an operating under the influence charge over the weekend, Cote said.