The Bellefontaine Police Department noticed a suspicious vehicle on North Main Street, Friday at around midnight. The driver failed to stop twice, made three improper turns, and traveled over to the left side of the roadway as well.
Police initiated a traffic stop on Spring Avenue, where they identified the driver as Jamie Johns, 53. They smelled the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle and on Johns’s breath. His eyes were bloodshot and glossy, and his speech, raspy and slurred. He was unsteady on his feet and used his hand to stabilize himself against his truck.
After initially denying that he had anything to drink, Johns admitted to having two or three beers. When first asked if he would be willing to perform field sobriety tests, he stated he was only a block from his house and ready to go home.
The authorities explained that they had seen Johns make several violations while driving. He interrupted to say that he wasn’t wearing his glasses and couldn’t see without them. Police reminded him that he had taken the glasses off, all on his own, during the traffic stop, and later learned that he did not need them to drive.
Johns also told police that he had hit his head on a ladder two days before. He had suffered blurry vision but did not go see a doctor.
He agreed to perform field sobriety tests, but after finishing one, he became argumentative and stated that he was going to call his lawyer.
Johns said that he was “screwed” regardless of whether he continued to perform the tests and told police to “just handcuff [him].”
He was placed under arrest and transported to the police department, where he refused to provide a breath sample.
Johns was charged with OVI, failing to stop at a stop light, driving on the right side of the road, making an improper turn, failing to use a turn signal, and failing to stop at a stop sign. He was then released to a sober driver.
