Only In West Virginia!

This week a West Virginia man named Jose Cruz (not to be confused with the former major league baseball player of the same name) was detained in a routine traffic stop for driving without headlights. The police officer smelled the unmistakable odor of alcohol and administered a field sobriety test, which Cruz failed. He was arrested and taken to jail where, while being booked for DUI, he allegedly "passed gas" on the booking officer. This malfeasance resulted in his also being charged for assault on a police officer.

Here is the actual report from a local news outlet:

"Jose A. Cruz, 34, from Clarksburg, West Virginia has been charged with battery on a police officer after he passed gas and fanned it toward a policeman. The man had been pulled over by a police officer on Tuesday because he was driving without headlights.

The policeman reported that Cruz smelled of alcohol. Besides this, he wasn't talking very coherent and failed three sobriety tests. The policeman handcuffed Cruz and took him to a police station for a breathalyzer test. During the time when Patrolman T.E. Parsons got ready the machine, Cruz lifted his leg and passed gas loudly, according to the patrolman report.

After that, Cruz fanned the gas toward the officer and as the written complaint explained, "the gas was very odorous and created contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Patrolman Parsons."

Besides the charge of offending the patrolman, Cruz was also charged of driving under the influence, driving without headlights and two counts of obstruction. But the 34-year-old man said that he had a troubled stomach at the time and the police refused him his request to go to the bathroom. He didn't admit of passing the gas toward the officer. "I couldn't hold it no more," he said.

Cruz also added that he wasn't drunk as the police officer said. He was only upset because he had to the test while he was having an asthma attack. But he didn't want to be taken to the hospital by the policemen. Still, he said the police officers thought the incident was funny and laughed at him."

You just can't make this stuff up! This guy belongs in the same hall of same with the "Duct Tape Bandit".

Oh, by the way, WSAZ Television news reported yesterday that the battery charge against Cruz has been dropped.

I guess boorishness and stupidity is no crime. It's just boorish and stupid…