Cops Corner: Pelican Press

Sept. 8
Old water switcheroo
2:20 a.m. — 5000 block of Ocean Boulevard. Driving Under the Influence. A deputy driving north on Ocean Boulevard from the Beach Club observed a vehicle turn left onto a road ahead of him. The vehicle accelerated rapidly, so the deputy used his radar gun to determine it was traveling at 35 mph in the 20 mph zone. The driver then started swerving across lanes. When the deputy activated his emergency lights, the vehicle slowed and pulled over onto the right side of Ocean Boulevard, west of Higel Avenue. When the deputy approached the car, he noticed the driver smelled of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot, and his pupils appeared dilated. The driver was argumentative, and his pants were undone, but he denied having had any alcohol. After the deputy arrested him, the driver confessed he had had two beers. The deputy allowed the driver to relieve himself on the roadside before conducting a sobriety test; therefore, before requesting a urine sample at the jail, the deputy gave the driver a cup of water. The driver complained the water was unfit for human consumption. Finally, the driver drank it and was able to provide the sample, but it was very clear. Because the driver took the water cup into the bathroom with him, the deputy was unable to ascertain whether the driver had used the water for the sample. The container reportedly was unusually cold to the touch.

Sept. 11
In and out in a flash
8:53 p.m. — 6600 block of Midnight Pass Road. Petit Theft. A clerk at a convenience store reported that a white male, between 18 and 24 years old, entered the store and took two 18-bottle cases of beer without paying for them. Because the cartons were just to the right of the store’s entryway, it was pretty easy, the clerk said, for the suspect to run inside, grab the beer and run out. The clerk was unable to provide a detailed description of the suspect. The deputy asked her to have the manager review the in-store video to see if the suspect was clearly visible; if so, the manager could notify the Sheriff’s Office.