An Ocala man was recently arrested after being found drinking alcohol in an unapproved public area.
On June 5 at 7:51 a.m., an Ocala Police Department officer reported he saw Edward King near East Springs Blvd sitting on a ledge by the sidewalk. The officer reported he has had numerous encounters with King, and he has a frequent history of openly drinking alcohol on city property in unapproved public areas, according to the incident report.
The officer observed King with an open 16 FL Oz. container of “Category 5” malt liquor which is 8.1% alcohol by volume. The officer said he asked King if he was really drinking that early in the morning and King stated he was only drinking “one” beer. The officer also reported he could smell alcohol emitting from his breath, according to the report.
King was arrested for an open container and transported to the Marion County Jail without issue.
In May, Governor Ron DeSantis approved the sale of “to-go” alcohol by restaurants with a collection of caveats.