A Fruitland Park man was taken into custody on a charge of driving under the influence after being pulled over for speeding.
An officer spotted Calvin Cooper, 40, run a stop sign in a silver SUV around 2:20 a.m. on June 28, according to an arrest record from the Eustis Police Department. He came up to the vehicle, which was going over 50 mph in a 30-mph zone on North Grove Street.
The vehicle did not leave the left lane, but its driving pattern was consistent with someone who was probably intoxicated or under the influence. The vehicle approached the intersection with County Road 452, activated its left turn signal, and swerved into the State Road 19 turn lane. It promptly and abruptly returned to the left lane, where it remained until signaled to turn onto County Road 452, according to the complaint.
The light went green, and the car turned left onto County Road 452. The officer then stopped the vehicle and spoke with Cooper and the passenger. According to the report, they were aggressively smoking a cigar, which filled the vehicle’s cabin and masks the odor of alcohol on their breath.
Several additional cops came on the scene, including a K-9 unit that detected the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle uncovered nothing, however the officer discovered a styrofoam cup on the backseat floorboard. According to the complaint, the small amount of dark liquid at the bottom smelled like pungent liquor.
An officer discovered partially frozen ice cubes in the front passenger seat area. The cup holder held an open 12-ounce can of Tropical Edition Red Bull. Another officer reached under the driver’s seat and discovered his latex glove soaked with a chilly liquid with a distinct liquor odor, according to the report.
Law officials discovered that whatever was in the styrofoam cup had been dumped between the driver’s seat and the center console. The cops informed Cooper that they felt he was under the influence, and he first consented to allow them to examine his eyes for signs of alcohol consumption. He didn’t keep his head steady and grew clearly upset when an officer repeatedly urged him to do so, according to the report.
Cooper finally refused to engage in field sobriety tests or produce a breath sample. According to the report, he invoked his right to remain silent and refused to answer any questions.
He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and refusing to submit to DUI tests. He was booked into Lake County Jail and released after posting a $2,000 bond.
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