A Cambridge man, 47-year-old William J. Walker, faces OUI and other charges after allegedly nearly striking a police officer with his car just before Memorial Day weekend. Police said that Walker was driving his white 1997 Chevy Lumina up to the intersection of Brattle and Appleton streets in Cambridge, where a police officer was working a detail while wearing a bright green detail vest. The officer put up his hand to indicate that Walker should stop, but the Lumina didn’t stop until the officer yelled at him and jumped out of the way. Walker then allegedly slammed on the brakes and stopped.
The officer approached the car, asked Walker if he was okay and whether he was on any medications. Walker said he was not, and the officer noted that his face looked “droopy” and he had glassy, watery eyes. When a second officer arrived, he asked Walker to step out of the car, frisked him, and reportedly found many medications that Walker said belonged to his father. Walker later admitted to having taken a narcotic that day, and police had him perform field sobriety tests. They noted that his body trembled and swayed during the tests. Walker was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with license restriction and possession of a Class B substance.
Read article: Cambridge man cuffed for almost running over cop
In my experience as a Massachusetts drunk driving defense attorney, police and prosecutors often don’t take kindly to a suspect who could have hurt one of their own. For that reason, I hope Walker gets experience representation to handle his OUI and other charges. The first police officer was undoubtedly shaken up by nearly being hit by Walker’s car, and it would not be surprising if his colleague who arrived later was also upset by the near-miss.
The article doesn’t note whether Walker was asked to take a breath or blood test. As a Massachusetts OUI defense lawyer, I would question the results of their field sobriety tests if these form the only basis for the intoxicated driving charge. These tests are notoriously subjective — they can be hard for some people to perform even if they aren’t intoxicated, and the results depend on the police officer’s personal interpretation of how the person being tested behaves. If Walker had any kind of medical or even emotional condition that could cause his body to tremble and sway when being questioned by the police, after nearly having an accident, that could have affected his performance in the field sobriety tests. As Walker’s case winds its way through the court system, his Massachusetts intoxicated driving defense attorney could argue persuasively for a dismissal of the charges or win a not-guilty verdict by challenging the field sobriety tests.
Attorney Stephen Neyman specializes in defending clients against charges of intoxicated driving and related crimes. In every case, our office’s goal is to get the best outcome possible for our clients. If you have been charged with OUI in Boston or eastern Massachusetts, please contact the Law Offices of Stephen Neyman right away for a free consultation. You can call (617) 263-6800 or contact us online.