In a somewhat bizarre case, an Illinois man has been accused of drinking and driving after he allegedly resisted arrest and, apparently, ate portions of the squad car assigned to remand him into custody. Illinois police charged the man with drunk driving early in the morning of July 6, a charge to which the man did not respond favorably. He is currently in police custody awaiting trial.
According to police reports, the man was stopped on suspicion of drunk driving, at which point he forcibly tried to resist being arrested. Police say he was chewing on the molding on the outside of the squad car door after being forced into the vehicle. It is unknown if this bizarre behavior was recorded by police cameras during the arrest.
There is no word as to how police came to the conclusion the man was intoxicated. While there may have been a roadside sobriety test conducted, there is no mention of it in available records. The man now faces fifteen citations including drunk driving, damage of government property, resisting arrest, eluding police and more. No court date has yet been set in this case.
While drunk driving is a serious charge in Illinois, it is always up to the prosecution to prove this is indeed an accurate assessment of the situation. Leaving aside the somewhat unique nature of these accusations, it is worrisome for prosecutors to note that no mention of a sobriety test has been brought to light. If the man’s constitutional rights and due process were not observed in the arrest, it is possible the prosecution will not be able to make an effective case against the accused man.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Suspected Illinois drunken driver eats part of patrol car, deputies say,” July 8, 2013
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