A 42-year-old Ocala man who allegedly was drunk when he showed up for work at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen was arrested and charged with DUI while trying to leave the restaurant.
On March 14, a manager at the restaurant, located at 4065 SW College Road, reported that Jeffrey Michael Proctor had arrived to work intoxicated. The manager said Proctor was leaning against his vehicle in the parking lot.
The Ocala Police officer who responded observed Proctor, in his Cheddar’s uniform, leaning up against his vehicle, which was in a parking space close to the roadway. While getting out of the patrol car, the officer saw Proctor enter his vehicle and sit in the driver’s seat with his keys in his hand, according to the police report.
The officer walked over to the vehicle and spoke with Proctor, who appeared very disoriented. Proctor failed to make sense during the conversation and provided conflicting statements. For example, at one point Proctor admitted to consuming alcohol 10 hours before work, but when asked the last time he had an alcoholic beverage, he said he drank two hours ago, the report said.
The officer observed Proctor was in actual physical control of the vehicle, sitting in the driver’s seat with the keys in his possession. He was unable to complete a series of field sobriety exercises because he “did not feel good.” Proctor’s eyes were glassy and he walked slowly because he did not have very good balance. The odor of alcohol was present throughout the entire conversation, according to the report.
Proctor was placed under arrest and placed into the patrol car. During a pre-tow inventory search of Proctor’s vehicle, the officer found 10 to 15 empty bottles of “Grape Smash,” a grape-flavored wine. The officer also found a book bag containing 10 more empty bottles of wine. The officer did not see the number of fluid ounces in each bottle, but the bottles were about 4-5 inches in size. Proctor’s vehicle also had a very heavy grape smell mixed with the smell of alcohol, the report said.
Proctor was taken to the Marion County Jail, where three breath-alcohol texts came back with readings over .300, which is nearly four times the legal limit. He was taken to a local hospital for observation until his BAC was below .300, according to the report.
Proctor was taken back to the jail, where he will remain until his scheduled release date of June 18.