An Ocala man found passed out in his vehicle in the middle of an intersection reportedly put up a struggle while being arrested on a DUI charge.
At around 4:05 a.m. Wednesday, a Marion County sheriff’s deputy responded to 77th Street and 119th Place after a caller reported a person stopped in the middle of the intersection. The deputy found 36-year-old Brent Travis Schmidt, of 4660 W. Anthony Road, unconscious in the back seat, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The truck was turned off, but the headlights were on and the keys to the vehicle were sitting on the center console, within Bell’s reach. The deputy awakened Schmidt and immediately noticed the overwhelming smell of intoxicating beverages emitting from his mouth. Schmidt’s speech was slurred and he was not making sense, the report said.
After Bell failed a series of field sobriety tests, the deputy placed him under arrest. While the deputy was trying to place him in handcuffs, Schmidt tensed up and pulled his arms away. After refusing several commands to put his hands behind his back, Schmidt was taken to the ground and cuffed, according to the report.
Schmidt, who refused to take a breathalyzer test, was charged with DUI and resisting without violence. He was taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was released Thursday on $2,000 bond. He’ll appear in Marion County Court on Oct. 1.