Mills Man Arrested for DUI After Running From Casper PD, Driving Into Front Yard
A Mills man was arrested late Wednesday after reportedly leading Casper police on a short pursuit through a neighborhood, driving into someone's front yard and trying to run off.
Joshua Henson, 34, was booked into jail on recommended charges of eluding, driving under the influence, driving without an ignition interlock device, driving while suspended and two counts of interference.
Charging papers say a Casper police officer was at Mike Sedar Park at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, waiting for a tow truck to remove a vehicle which had been in an accident.
When the tow truck arrived, the driver told the officer he had been followed by a vehicle which was swerving into the other lane of traffic and driving very erratically. A silver GMC drove by, which the tow truck driver identified as the vehicle which had been driving recklessly.
The officer caught up to the vehicle at 25th and Poplar, then followed it west on 25th. The GMC was reportedly swerving from one side of the lane to the other before turning south on Coffman and pulling over to the side of the road without signaling, and coming to a stop.
The officer turned on his overhead lights and started to get out of his patrol car, when the GMC -- driven by Henson -- took off.
Despite the officer activating his siren in addition to his lights, Henson wouldn't stop and took several different streets through the neighborhood, in what the officer says was an attempt to elude police.
Henson turned south on Mariposa and continued to where the street stopped at a cul de sac. Henson allegedly drove into someone's front yard, stopping before he would have driven through a fence.
Court documents say Henson then jumped out of the GMC. The officer got out of his patrol car and ordered Henson to "stop" and "get down on the ground." Henson allegedly refused those commands and ran, scaling a fence and going into someone's backyard.
The officer followed and took Henson to the ground. Henson continued to resist arrest, police say, but was ultimately taken into custody.
A very strong odor of alcohol was allegedly coming from Henson's breath. Henson refused sobriety tests.
The officer asked Henson why he ran, and Henson was reportedly unable to give a clear answer. When asked whether he had been drinking and how much, Henson allegedly replied, "yes," and "not enough."
Henson also refused to take a breath test, the affidavit says.
Background information included in the affidavit shows Henson has DUI and other traffic charges dating back to 2008, including a DWUI just last month. His license is shown as being suspended, and he was required to use an ignition interlock device until July 2018.