BEDFORD— Beau A. King, 37, of Shoals, was arrested early on October 26 for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement following a traffic stop on State Road 37.
According to the affidavit filed by Deputy C. Pruett of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, the incident began around 12:15 a.m. when Deputy Pruett’s radar clocked King’s gray 2023 Subaru Forester traveling at 89 miles per hour in a 60 mph zone. The deputy activated his lights and siren, successfully pulling King over just north of the intersection with 5th Street in Bedford.
Upon approaching King’s vehicle, Deputy Pruett noted that King’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and his speech was slurred. When asked about his drinking, King admitted to consuming four to five drinks at two bars in Bloomington before heading home to Shoals.
During the stop, King appeared disoriented and struggled to retrieve his driver’s license from his wallet, which he dropped. After several attempts to comply with the deputy’s requests, King was asked to perform a series of Standard Field Sobriety Tests. However, his performance indicated significant impairment.
After failing the sobriety tests, King refused to take a chemical test and was subsequently detained. The situation escalated when King resisted exiting the patrol vehicle upon arriving at IU Health Bedford Hospital for a blood draw. Despite multiple requests from deputies, King initially refused to cooperate, leading to a struggle before he was escorted into the hospital.
After the blood draw was completed, King was transported to the Lawrence County Jail, where a Portable Breathalyzer Test indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit.
King now faces charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement. He was booked into the jail without further incident.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
