A Leesburg man was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after being pulled over for speeding and forcibly removed from his vehicle when he refused to get out.
An officer observed the driver of a dark-colored sedan, later identified as 25-year-old Mychael Lee Marquis McClenton, traveling northbound at high speeds near U.S. Highway 27/441 and Palm Street around 3:13 a.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. Radar confirmed the vehicle to be going 61 mph in a 45-mph zone.
The officer made a U-turn to get behind the vehicle, at which point he saw it straddling the solid white line separating the left turn lane onto Palm Street from the left-most northbound lane. The vehicle made a wide turn onto Palm Street, and the officer paced it at 36 mph in a 25-mph zone. As the vehicle went through the intersection of Palm Street and Dixie Avenue, the officer initiated a traffic stop, the report said.
The officer approached the driver’s side and saw McClenton in the driver’s seat. Loud music played in the vehicle, so he asked McClenton several times to turn it down. He pressed a button on the steering wheel multiple times in what looked like an effort to do so, but the volume was not changing, the report said.
McClenton provided his license and the registration for the vehicle, but when asked for his proof of insurance, he advised that it was written on the registration. The officer informed him it was not legal proof of his insurance and asked him several times to see his insurance card. McClenton instead became verbally aggressive and called the officer names, the report said.
The officer told McClenton he would receive a citation for not providing his insurance information, and he replied, “Write that ticket.” During this conversation, the officer noticed McClenton’s behavior was very erratic, and his eyes were bloodshot and watery. He also slurred his words, leading the officer to believe he was under the influence of alcohol, the report said.
A short time later, another officer arrived on scene to assist. Both officers asked McClenton to step out of his vehicle several times due to his behavior. He defied these orders and locked his doors despite being told he would be forcibly removed from the vehicle, the report said.
At that point, the officers opened the driver’s door, removed McClenton from the vehicle, redirected him to the ground and handcuffed him. He was then escorted to a nearby patrol vehicle, during which an officer smelled the strong odor of an alcoholic drink coming from his breath, the report said.
A search of McClenton’s person revealed a receipt from the Big Dog Saloon, located at 4060 CR 19A, Mount Dora, for “2 Jose Silver,” which the officer knew to be an alcoholic beverage. The receipt was dated for that same day at 12:23 a.m. After being placed in the back of the patrol vehicle, McClenton admitted to having two drinks, the report said.
McClenton refused to perform field sobriety exercises, so he was taken to Lake County Jail where he continued to be argumentative with booking staff. He also declined to provide a breath sample even after being read the implied consent rule, and he refused to sign a citation, the report said.
McClenton was subsequently charged with resist officer without violence, DUI and refusal to sign criminal citation. He was released from jail after posting $2,500 bond.