Shoreline Police: Ring. Hello? I can't talk right now, I'm in the middle of a DUI investigation

On Sunday, October 10, 2021 at 12:32am, a 911 caller reported a possible DUI driver in the vicinity of N 185th St and Corliss Ave N in Shoreline. 

The vehicle was seen crossing the center line several times and, at one point, almost hit our caller. The car was described as a silver 2008 Volkswagen Jetta.

Dispatchers issued an informational broadcast (also known as an APB) to local deputies in Shoreline in an effort to locate the vehicle. 

Hearing the broadcast, a nearby deputy conducted an area check. He located the Jetta on NE 175th Street and initiated a traffic stop.

The deputy approached the car. He noticed two cans of Bud Light seltzers, one on the passenger seat and the other on floorboard. The driver smelled of alcohol and had droopy, watery eyes. 

It also appeared that the driver was confused and had trouble processing the deputy's instructions. 

The driver was asked to step out of the car. He stumbled while attempting to stand and almost fell back inside his car.

The driver agreed to submit to a voluntary Field Sobriety Test (FST). In the middle of the process, the driver received a phone call. 

The driver held his phone up and looked at who was calling but didn't answer the call. The deputy instructed him to put his phone away, which he did.

A few more minutes into the FST, the driver received yet another phone call. 

This time he answered it and told the caller that he was in the middle of a DUI investigation. 

The deputy asked the driver if he wanted to continue with the tests. He said he did but he would not hang up the phone. 

The male eventually ended the call and suddenly decided he would not resume the field sobriety tests. He was arrested and placed in handcuffs.

The driver was brought to the precinct for DUI processing. 

A warrant was obtained for his blood and it was drawn by the nearby Fire Department. 

Charges are pending, awaiting blood results from the Washington State Patrol Toxicology lab.

As a reminder, we do not show suspects' faces until they have been formally charged.

--King County Sheriff's Office