Marion County Sheriff's release dashcam of a drunk driver fleeing from deputies, then being tased
By: -----
On Sunday, at around 2:00 a.m., Deputy Jamie Latham saw Bryan Bennett (W/M, DOB: 08/15/1983) swerving while driving in the 16900 block of East Fort King Street.
He activated his emergency lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop, but Bennett turned down a dirt road and refused to pull over. After a brief pursuit, Bennett finally pulled into his driveway and exited the vehicle at Deputy Latham’s instruction. Bennett, who showed clear signs of impairment, advised he was calling his lawyer and refused to obey commands to put his phone down and surrender.
Deputy Latham was forced to deploy his taser to take Bennett into custody. Bennett immediately began to allege that he had heart problems and that he was mentally ill, but medics responded to check him out and determined that he was in good health.
Deputies discovered that he had an empty can of Twisted Tea in the center console, which was still cold to the touch.
Bennett was arrested for Fleeing to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer, Driving Under the Influence (4th Offense), and Resisting Arrest without Violence. He was transported to the Marion County Jail, where he refused to perform Field Sobriety Exercises and did not provide a breath sample.