Pretrial diversion is fairly common for a first offense. It doesn't appear that the first law enforcement contact was that serious, and I suspect he was probably drunk at the time, although that was not tested. What pretrial diversion is, essentially, serving probation before trial/conviction. If you go, typically 1-3 years (depending on the offense and jurisdiction), the original charge will be dismissed. It appears that he finished his probation in 2008. I suspect he didn't apply to the academy at the time, because he was still serving his probation (so the criminal charge was still "pending). Also, in most jurisdictions, you have to be nominated or sponsored by a police agency to attend a basic law enforcement academy. I doubt he got that far. He was clearly overweight, and did not have the basic aptitude/suitability for the job.

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich