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Thursday, Mar 28th

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WEEKLY DWI REPORT

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Darryl Bluehorse, 51

March 3, 1:46 am

3rd DWI, Aggravated

Gallup Police Officer Adrian Quetawki was on patrol on west Highway 66 about 1:46 am when he saw a car traveling the opposite direction with no headlights on.

He immediately turned around and conducted a traffic stop. He told the driver, Bluehorse, 61, of Window Rock why he stopped him. Bluehorse said he wasn’t aware that his lights were off.

By this time, Quetawki said he noticed signs that Bluehorse may be intoxicated, so he asked him where he was coming from. Bluehorse responded that he was going home after getting something to eat. He also admitted to having had three or four drinks during the evening.

Since he admitted to drinking, Quetawki had him take field sobriety tests, including one in which he was asked to recite the alphabet beginning with D and ending with Q.

After being told he had failed the tests, Quetawki reported Bluehorse as saying: “Yeah, I am impaired.”

Bluehorse then agreed to take a breath alcohol test and was taken to state police headquarters where he posted two samples of .16.

Anson Shirley

March 2, 6:33 am

DWI

McKinley County Sheriff’s Office Dep. J. Bowman spotted a car driving inside the median on State Highway 491. When he attempted to stop the car, the driver continued on to turn into T&R Market, stopping inside the parking lot. Bowman approached the car and saw the driver move from the driver seat to the passenger seat, though his leg was caught by the gear shift and the dash panel, according to the police report.

Shirley, 27, opened the car door and Bowman could smell alcohol coming out of the car, according to his report. Bowman saw a 12 ounce can of beer spilled on the floor of the car and on Shirley’s shirt. When Bowman asked for his license, Shirley replied that he didn’t have one. The car belonged to his girlfriend.

Shirley was hesitant to leave the vehicle, but then agreed to field sobriety testing. He performed poorly and argued with the officer throughout the test. Bowman then placed Shirley under arrest, and Shirley said: “Why are you arresting me, I wasn’t even the driver,” according to the report. Shirley blew a .26 and a .27 on his breath test before booking.

Kirk Pensyl,

March 2, 12:11 am

1st DWI, Aggravated

MCSO Dep. Johnson Lee was heading south on Munoz Overpass when he saw a speeding car, traveling 70 miles per hour on a 40 MPH road. Lee pulled the driver over, then encountering Pensyl, 18, who “was slurring [his words] and had blood shot watery eyes,” according to Lee’s police report.

Lee asked Pensyl if he had been drinking. Pensyl said he hadn’t been, but that his passengers had. Pensyl said he had been smoking. Lee aked Pensyl to participate in field sobriety testing, and Pensyl agreed. He performed poorly on the tests and was then arrested for DWI, soon after blowing a .14 and a .16 on a breath test.

Marilyn Dixon

March 1, 12:00 am

3rd DWI, Aggravated

Just after midnight, GPD Officer Steven Eldridge was dispatched to the 3400 block of East Highway 66 because of numerous reports of several individuals being seen intoxicated in a white van.

When he got to the area, he saw the van head into a Giant gas station near the 26-mile marker and went over to do a welfare check. He asked Dixon, 60, of Churchrock to step out from behind the wheel and noticed she had bloodshot eyes and other signs of being intoxicated.

She admitted to drinking a can of beer 15 minutes before the traffic stop and then agreed to take field sobriety tests, which she failed. She was then placed under arrest and Eldridge said he noticed an open beer can near the driver’s seat, and he charged her with possession of an open liquor container as well.

Eldridge said he was also informed by Metro Dispatch that Dixon had a suspended driver’s license because of two previous DWI convictions. She was charged for that as well.

The DWI charge was later changed to aggravated DWI when she agreed to take a breath alcohol test and posted two samples of 17.

Freddie James

Feb. 28, 11:00 am

1st DWI

Metro Dispatch received a call about 11 am of a driver in a red car seen staggering at a Conoco gas station on West Highway 66.

A little later, Gallup Patrolman Norman Bowman called in, saying he spotted a vehicle of that description heading north on Twin Buttes Road heading back to Highway 66. He said he watched the vehicle as it stopped at the intersection and just sat there despite the fact that there was no traffic on Highway 66.

After about a minute, Bowman said he saw the vehicle turn east on Highway 66 and he began following it until he saw the car had no license plate so he conducted a traffic stop. He then talked to the driver, James, 38, of Window Rock, who informed him he had no driver’s license.

Smelling the odor of intoxicating liquor coming from James, Bowman asked if he had anything to drink that day and James admitted to having had two beers earlier in the morning.

After James refused to take a field sobriety test, he agreed to allow Bowman to  take a breath alcohol sample using his portable breathalyzer. He posted a sample of .24. Bowman said he noticed an open beer can in the vehicle so he was charged with that as well.

Thee were two passengers in the vehicle and they were also found to be intoxicated so they were taken to NCI while James was transported to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center for booking.

However, admitting officials there refused to take him in, saying he had no concept of where he was or time so Bowman had to take him to the Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital for a medical clearance.

When they got there, Bowman said he had to assist him in walking to the emergency ward because he was unsteady on his feet. Bowman said he stayed with him until he received medical clearance and then transported him back to the jail.

Robert Tso,

Feb. 27, 11:03 am

DWI, Aggravated

MCSO Dep. J. Bowman arrived at State Highway 566 and Challenger Road after reports of an accident there, and then found Tso, 51, sitting in the driver seat. Tso left the vehicle and admitted to not having a driver’s license or ID on him. Tso told Bowman: “I’m going to admit. I’m top out. I’m guilty. I was driving,” according to the police report.

When asked if he would agree to field sobriety testing, Tso said: “I’m going to fail. I’m full bar… I can’t pass it.” Tso was only able to take one of the field tests, and showed all signs of intoxication. He was transported for booking and blew a .30 twice on his breath test.

Shiela Silversmith

Feb. 26, 3:38 pm

DWI

MCSO Dep. Brandon Salazar was dispatched to State Highway 400 nearby Painted Horse Trail Road over a crash in the area. Upon arriving, Salazar met Silversmith, 39, standing on the side of the road. Silverman smelled strongly of alcohol, according to the police report. Silversmith told Bowman that another person was driving, but when Bowman spoke to that person he was told it was Silversmith who was responsible for the crash.

Salazar returned to speak to Silversmith, and found she was the registered owner of the car involved in the crash. Salazar asked Silversmith if she would take field sobriety tests for him, and she said she would not, as she had been drinking, according to the police report. Silversmith admitted to drinking “roughly a 12 pack” of beer, according to the police report.

Silversmith blew a .13 and a .13 on her breath test before being booked.