All 7 St. Pat's Weekend OWI Task Force Arrests Now Reported

The last report of suspected drunken or drugged driver arrests for the St. Patrick's Day weekend was approved Wednesday, and here are the seven drivers rounded up in Wauwatosa during the OWI Task Force roundup on Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 17.

They can't say they weren't warned. Metro police departments, county sheriff's and the State Patrol all put out well-covered media releases, held streetside officer roll calls, and partnered with taverns and hotels to let the public know there would be dozens of extra officers out looking only for intoxicated drivers.

They found them. Wauwatosa, a hub of the metro transportation system, tied the City of Milwaukee among municipal police departments for the most arrests.

"We wish we had made no arrests because nobody was drinking and driving," said Lt. Tim Sharpee of the Wauwatosa force and coordinator of the metro-wide effort.

"But that wasn't the case. We are still trying to get the message out: Don't drink and drive. Find another way home.

"But we will enforce. We will arrest. There are no warnings."

No. 1

At 1:30 p.m. that Saturday, a 45-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, a second OWI offense, after a caller reported him "all over the road" and driving erratically on Watertown Plank Road at Mayfair Road.

The caller stopped following, but the first patrol officer to arrive found a Wauwatosa Traffic Control Jeep following the suspect to keep tabs. The patrol officer took over and saw the driver make "a rather abrupt turn" onto Swan Boulevard from the center lane of Watertown Plank.

After seeing the suspect repeatedly weave back and forth across two lanes, the officer pulled him over in the 1500 block of Swan.

The man claimed he was just lost and confused about his location, but the officer suspected more than that and asked him to perform sobriety tests. The driver's speech was slow and slurred, but he did not smell of alcohol.

A record check showed he had been arrested for OWI in February and convicted on March 6. The report did not indicate whether that incident involved drugs or alcohol. His driver's license was suspended.

He performed poorly on the tests and was taken into custody for a mandatory blood draw.

No. 2

At 9:41 p.m. Saturday, a 33-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested on suspicion of driving while drunk, first offense, after a patrol officer saw him speeding on Blue Mound Road and clocked him at up to 80 miles per hour after he got on Hwy. 45.

The officer pulled him over and found that he exhibited all the signs of intoxication, and also that his license was suspended and he had a warrant for arrest.

He was immediately taken into custody and given sobriety tests at the police station, which he performed poorly. He blew a .086 blood alcohol concentration on a breath test.

No. 3

At 1:10 a.m. Sunday, a 23-year-old Brookfield man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, first offense, after a traffic stop in the 2900 block of Menomonee River Parkway.

A patrol officer saw the man driving slowly on the rim of his front left wheel, the tire missing all together.

The suspect’s speech was slow and slurred, and he was unaware he was missing a tire. In fact, the officer said, he seemed shocked to hear it.

He failed field sobriety tests and blew a .28 blood alcohol concentration on a breath test — 3½ times the state's proscribed limit.

An hour after the stop, the man still could not recall how he had lost his front tire or how far he’d driven on the rim, but said he’d come all the way from Water Street in downtown Milwaukee.

No. 4

At 5:24 p.m. Sunday, a 30-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested on suspicion of driving while drunk, first offense, after she crashed into a tree in the 2600 block of 62nd Street and police officers followed a trail of engine coolant to a parking lot in the 6000 block of Center Street.

The woman was still at the wheel of her car, which was pouring smoke and vapor, and she said she had been upset, was frightened by the accident and drove the short distance home.

But she smelled of alcohol, failed sobriety tests, and blew a .18 BAC.

No. 5

At 7:28 p.m. Sunday, a 26-year-old Wauwatosa man was arrested on suspicion of driving while drunk after a patrol officer saw him having an unusual amount of trouble driving a manual transmission car, lurching and stalling repeatedly.

The driver said he was just "showing off," but he smelled of alcohol, had glassy eyes and admitted to drinking four beers before driving.

He failed sobriety tests and registered a .18 BAC.

No. 6

At 8:45 p.m. Sunday, a 27-year-old West Allis man was arrested on suspicion of driving while drunk after he was stopped for speeding in the 7800 block of Blue Mound Road.

A patrol officer clocked him at 48 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone. The driver, when asked if he knew why he had been stopped, said, "I didn't run the red light?" He could not focus his eyes on the officer and his speech was thick and slurred.

He performed poorly on sobriety tests – he said he had a degree in journalism but couldn't recite the alphabet – and was arrested. He blew a .17 BAC.

No. 7

At 2:13 a.m. Sunday, a 25-year-old Elm Grove man was arrested on suspicion of driving while drunk after a patrol officer on Task Force duty saw him run a red light on Blue Mound Road at Mayfair Road.

The man apparently saw the officer and pulled into the back of a parking lot and tried to leave his car. But the officer stopped him and sat him back down.

He admitted having had a few drinks after work. He failed sobriety tests and blew a .14 BAC.