Delray Beach patrol officer Marques Brown was arrested over the weekend for allegedly driving under the influence and causing a car accident.
Brown, 41, was charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence and causing $5,000 in property damage. He was taken to Palm Beach County Jail and was released on his own recognizance a few hours later. The press did not name an attorney for him.
According to the arrest report, the crash occurred a little after 10 p.m. on April 28 in the 400 block of North Ocean Boulevard. Brown, who was driving a Tesla, reportedly rear-ended a Ford driven by a woman identified as Tatum Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick smashed her mouth into her steering wheel when Brown crashed into the back of her vehicle, her sworn witness statement said. Brown purportedly told her that he was an off-duty police officer and asked if she was all right, but didn’t call 911. Fitzpatrick had to do it, according to her statement.
The trooper who arrived at the scene reported that Brown had bloodshot, glassy eyes, he was swaying on his feet, his speech was slurred, and his breath smelled of alcohol. He allegedly admitted to having drunk alcohol earlier that night.
Brown agreed to field sobriety exercises on the side of road, but was unable to perform them properly. He refused to take a breathalyzer test and signed a document confirming his decision, records indicate.
Brown has been a Delray Beach patrol officer since October 2008. He has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation and the highway patrol’s criminal investigation.
Another DUI incident was reported in Miami Beach two weeks ago. Ceairia Deveaux of Cutler Bay was arrested on April 14 for her alleged involvement in two car crashes, including one that severely injured someone on a scooter.
Deveaux, 28, was charged with DUI causing serious bodily injury and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. It is unclear if she has acquired the services of an attorney.
According to the arrest report, two crashes caused by the same vehicle were reported on the night of April 14. The first one was a hit-and-run crash involving a Chevrolet Cruze near Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruze attempted to flee from the scene but crashed into a scooter at Collins Avenue and 15th Street.
The unidentified scooter driver suffered severe injuries and is purportedly still in a coma at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruze was identified as Deveaux. She was also taken to the hospital after she complained about abdominal pains. No one else was injured in the two crashes.
The troopers who arrested Deveaux reported that she had droopy eyelids, slurred speech, and strong smell of smoked cannabis. They also allegedly heard her tell hospital workers that she had consumed alcohol. A blood sample was taken to test her alcohol content, the report said.
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Source: 4.29.19 Delray beach officer refuses DUI breath test after crash.pdf