The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says 56-year-old Sean Grubbs was stopped on Sept. 19 after erratic driving and showed multiple signs of impairment. During a heel-to-toe test he walked 25 steps after being told to take nine and later failed to finish the alphabet with his eyes closed. He was arrested on DUI and refusal-to-submit charges (a subsequent offense); bond was set at $7,500 and a court date is scheduled for Sept. 30.
Florida Man Walks 25 Steps Instead Of 9, Fails To Finish ABCs During DUI Stop
Image Credit: Marion County Sheriff's Office
A 56-year-old Florida man, identified by the Marion County Sheriff's Office as Sean Grubbs, was arrested on Sept. 19 after deputies say he displayed signs of impairment and performed poorly on roadside sobriety tests captured on body-camera video.
Traffic Stop And Signs Of Impairment
Sgt. Boatwright stopped Grubbs after officers observed him weaving between lanes, cutting off another vehicle and nearly striking a car. Grubbs continued driving for several blocks before pulling over. Cpl. Robert Young conducted the DUI investigation and reported that Grubbs had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and difficulty maintaining his balance.
Struggling Through Field Sobriety Tests
Body-camera footage released by the sheriff's office shows Grubbs struggling with several standardized field sobriety exercises. During a heel-to-toe walk-and-turn test, Grubbs was instructed to take nine heel-to-toe steps in a straight line, turn around and take nine steps back. Instead, he kept walking and, by the time he stopped and turned, the deputy had counted 25 steps.
"Is that nine?" Grubbs asked. "You were supposed to be counting," the deputy replied.
In another exercise, Grubbs was asked to hold one foot about six inches off the ground and count aloud until told to stop. He struggled to maintain balance and stopped early. The footage also shows Grubbs attempting to recite the alphabet with his eyes closed: he began correctly but increasingly faltered and failed to finish the sequence.
Charges, Booking And Reminder From Deputies
Grubbs was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a breath sample, listed as a subsequent offense by the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The agency noted Grubbs has a prior conviction for DUI and for refusing to provide a breath sample.
Booking records show Grubbs was processed on Sept. 19 at 9:41 p.m. with a total bond of $7,500. He was released in the early afternoon of Sept. 21 and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 30.
The sheriff's office used the incident to remind the public not to drive while impaired and to consider alternative transportation options when under the influence. As with all criminal matters, Grubbs is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The sheriff's office has released the body-camera video of the encounter.
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