New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
The east side of Red Bank, NJ, was the site of a police chase following an initially unsuccessful DWI traffic stop. According to reports, Captain Darren McConnell of the Red Bank traffic safety unit identified a Chevy pickup moving erratically around 2am on Saturday, September 26, just prior to running a stop sign at Wallace and McLaren streets.
As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney having defended numerous motorists charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, this is a typical scenario for an early morning drunk driving arrest. However, fleeing a police officer only complicates matters for a defendant accused of driving under the influence. In this day and age, there is no sense to making matters worse by adding resisting arrest to the list of charges.
In this case, Captain McConnell attempted to pull over Jesse Rowe, 21, who was driving his vehicle in an allegedly erratic manner. As McConnell started to pull Rowe’s truck over the suspect accelerated away in an apparent attempt to evade arrest. Pursuing Rowe eastbound on McLaren Street, then north on William Street and east again on Mechanic, the entire chase was less than a half mile, according to police reports.
After finally bringing his vehicle to a stop, Rowe reportedly got out of the vehicle and tried to flee on foot. However, he was caught after a short distance by McConnell, who subdued the man after a brief struggle. The arrest was made near the intersection of Mechanic Street and Prospect Avenue, not far from the suspect’s Mechanic Street residence, police reports show.
Rowe was charged with DWI, possession of under 50 grams of marijuana, eluding police and resisting arrest. Bail was set at $10,000 and he was placed in the Monmouth County Correctional Facility in the interim.
Cop Nabs DWI Suspect after Short Chase, RedBankGreen.com, September 28, 2009