One DUI Arrest, 50 Other Violations Noted At Checkpoint

During a sobriety checkpoint held on the night of Saturday, November 25, and early morning hours of Sunday, November 26, police arrested one motorist on a charge of driving under the influence and issued 50 other violations to drivers.

Eleven police conducted the checkpoint at the eastern intersection of Mt Pleasant Road and Tory Lane, near Christ The King Lutheran Church.  

During the checkpoint, all drivers passing through the area were stopped and briefly interviewed to determine whether they were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. About 800 vehicles passed through the checkpoint.

 The project resulted in one arrest for drunken driving, one arrest for misuse of a marker plate, the issuance of eight infractions, plus 41 warnings, police said.

At about 1:15 am on November 26, motorist William Watson, 45, of Waterbury approached the checkpoint and stopped, police said. Police said they smelled alcohol on Watson’s breath, after which they gave him field sobriety tests, which he failed.

A search turned up large knife in the vehicle that Watson was driving, police said.

Police arrested Watson on charges of driving under the influence, possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, and driving without a license.

After he posted $500 bail, police released Watson for a December 13 appearance in Danbury Superior Court.

 Earlier that morning, at about 12:45 am, police stopped motorist Lamorris Kinlaw, 20, of Bridgeport at the checkpoint.

After investigating, police charged Kinlaw with misuse of marker plates and also with driving an unregistered vehicle. Police released Kinlaw on a written promise to appear in court on December 13.

Besides sobriety checkpoints, as part of the holiday season’s increased enforcement of drunken driving laws, police also plan to have  roving DUI patrols traveling on local roads through the end of the year.

The drunken driving enforcement program is made possible through a state/federal grant, which covers 75 percent of the approximately $20,000 in police overtime expenses stemming from the overall enforcement project. The town recently received a $15,150 grant for the program, which runs through January 1, 2007.