When a driver in Connecticut is stopped by officers and suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, there are certain procedures that may be followed before the person may be placed under arrest. These may involve the administration of standardized field sobriety tests that are approved for use by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
One man who was recently arrested in Plainville was apparently asked to perform some tasks but, according to reports, the things he was asked to do were not part of the three standardized field sobriety tests. It is not known if those tests were also administered or not. Regardless of this, the man was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. One of the things the defendant was asked to do was to count aloud starting at 67 and ending at 55. Another thing officers requested was for him to say the alphabet starting partway through.
The man apparently did not successfully do either of these things but it is not clear that this proves he was intoxicated. He did not agree to provide a breath sample. The exact charge he faces is not known but he did post bond in the amount of $10,000 and is currently out of jail. The defendant is a detective with the Hartford police department.
When a person in Connecticut is placed under arrest for suspected drunk driving, it may be helpful to discuss the arrest process and tests used with an attorney.
Source: NBC Connecticut, “Hartford Police Detective Charged With DUI In Plainville,” August 28, 2017