Drunken driver falls onto arresting officer, urinates during arrest
By HEATHER RUPPE
A Columbia resident traveling through Walterboro was so intoxicated when he was stopped by a local officer that the man fell out of the driver’s seat and into the arms of the arresting officer.
According to a Walterboro Police Department incident report, an officer was working patrol near South Jefferies Boulevard when he saw a Ford truck cross the center lane. The driver then “jerked” the truck back into the correct lane, but continued to cross the middle yellow line. The vehicle also did not have a readable temporary tag. When the officer stopped the vehicle, the driver “took a very long time” to pull over and was driving at a “very slow rate of speed,” the report states.
The driver could not speak English and had bloodshot eyes, the report states, and local officers were able to speak Spanish to the man.
During the traffic stop, officers stated that the man was also emitting the smell of alcohol, and when the driver tried to get out of the vehicle, he stumbled and fell toward the officer. At this point, the officer placed the man into handcuffs. The man was later identified through a Mexican identification card.
The local arresting officer was speaking Spanish to both the driver and the passenger, who are identified as a 29-year-old Columbia man and a 27-year-old Columbia man, both of whom are from Mexico.
The driver also urinated on himself while the officers were trying to speak to him.
Officers found 12 empty cans of beer inside the vehicle.
The vehicle was towed and both men were taken to the Colleton County Detention. The driver is charged with DUI, first offense, and Open Container.
Officers called to two area schools for multiple reasons
Law enforcement officers were called to Colleton County High School on Sept. 14th for a report of a possible weapon on school property. Details of the incident are not available. Also, on Sept. 14th, authorities were called to Colleton County Middle School for threats being made by one student to another.
One day prior, on Sept. 13th, deputies with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office were called to Colleton County Middle School for a fight in the lunchroom. When authorities arrived, the students involved in the fight had been separated, but one child was still acting out, an incident report states. Deputies were called to the middle school for a second time on Sept. 13th to a report of a BB Gun on campus. No incident associated with the BB gun was reported.
Gun pulled at car crash
A Walterboro woman called 911 on Sept. 18th when someone backed into her vehicle and then pulled out a gun. According to a Walterboro Police Department incident report, the officers were called to Francis Street for a vehicle accident. When they met with the complainant, she said that a person named “CiCi” backed into her car while her son was driving. Then, the suspect pulled and presented an unknown firearm at her son. No other information was available. No one was injured.
Winning lottery tickets stolen
A Walterboro man lost winning lottery tickets, $5 in change and other various items when an unknown person broke into his vehicle. The incident occurred between Sept. 17 and Sept. 18th at a Walterboro residence. According to a Walterboro Police Department incident report, the suspect broke into the man’s truck and stole $150 in winning lottery tickets, $5 in change, a battery charger, a winch and other items. The suspect entered the vehicle by pushing down the truck’s windows and then opening the truck from inside. Authorities are reviewing nearby camera footage to see if a suspect can be identified.
