Tampa DUI Lawyer Blog
A Waldo, Florida homeless man arrested for cycling under the influence (DUI) Monday has also been charged with making videotaped threats against the officer who arrested him and against the officer’s family.
The 49-year-old man was noticed by a Waldo police officer around 8 p.m. struggling to control his bike and running a stop sign.
After the man was stopped by the officer he released some jail paperwork as a means to identify himself. The officer performed several breath tests on the man which resulted in registered blood alcohol levels of .158 and .149.
The man was arrested and placed in the backseat of the patrol car where the in-car video camera allegedly captured him threatening the officer through statements about sexual assaults on his family members and hiring someone to shoot a shotgun in his presence.
The man has served three prison terms since 1987 for convictions of escape, trafficking in stolen property and burglary with assault.
The man was charged with DUI and corruption by threat against a public servant and transported to the Alachua County jail.
Florida law provides the most zealous of prosecutors an avenue to prosecute folks for DUI when riding a bike with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or greater. In Florida, the driver of a vehicle who drives with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more or while normal faculties are impaired can be found guilty of DUI. Not all states recognize a bicycle as a proper vehicle for prosecuting a DUI, however, Florida has a tradition which includes DUI convictions for bikes, golf carts, scooters, mopeds, motorized wheel chairs and even horses, yes, I said horses.
If you have been arrested for DUI while operating a motor vehicle, bicycle or any other device in the Florida area, contact the Florida DUI Lawyers at the Law Offices of Whittel & Melton, LLC online or call 352-726-0078 or 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).