A Key Largo man refused to heed a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy who saw him stumbling toward his car with a beer in his hand and landed himself with DUI charges on Monday.
Melvin Terral Dean, 38, was charged with DUI and fleeing an officer.
Around 2 a.m., a deputy patrolling Key Largo noticed Dean talking with another person near a gas pump at a Circle K gas station. According to the report, Dean was having trouble keeping his balance and walking, and the deputy noted that he was walking toward a parked vehicle with a beer in his hand. The deputy advised Dean not to get into the car and drive, but Dean ignored him and drove away.
The deputy got into his patrol car and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Dean continued to drive for approximately 1.5 miles. Once the deputy met with Dean, he reportedly became verbally aggressive and refused to obey verbal instructions from the deputy, which led him to call for backup.
Deputies placed Dean in handcuffs, noting that he smelled strongly of alcohol, and his physical appearance was consistent with intoxication.
Dean then refused to perform a field sobriety test, and he informed deputies that he would not provide them with a breath sample or anything else.
Dean was transported to the Plantation Key jail, but was released the same day around 2:30 p.m.
Information in the Crime Report is obtained from reports provided by area law enforcement agencies.
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