BEDFORD – A local man is facing criminal charges after a reported domestic disturbance led to a high-stakes traffic stop and a court-ordered blood draw on Tuesday night.
James A. Lawson, 58, of Bedford, was taken into custody by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department on February 17th, following reports that he had allegedly threatened his wife at a residence on Glendale Way.
The incident began at approximately 9:51 p.m. when Lawrence County Dispatch received a third-party call reporting a domestic dispute. The caller stated that Lawson was threatening his wife and was attempting to leave the scene in a black Chevy Tahoe.
Sgt. W. Daugherty located the vehicle exiting the Pride Estates neighborhood and initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of Sandpit Road and Mitchell Road. According to the probable cause affidavit, as soon as Lawson rolled down his window, he stated to the officer that he was “guilty.”
During the investigation, Lawson admitted to consuming “probably a 6-pack” of beer about 45 minutes prior to driving. Sgt. Daugherty noted that Lawson was unsteady on his feet, nearly falling over into the grass while preparing for sobriety tests.
Law enforcement officials reported Lawson failed standardized field sobriety tests.
Officers attempted a Portable Breath Test (PBT) at the scene, but Lawson was reportedly unable or unwilling to provide a sufficient breath sample, eventually telling the officer the equipment failure was “not his problem.”
The situation escalated when Lawson reportedly became belligerent with officers, telling Sgt. Daugherty, “You work for me,” and speaking over the officer during the reading of Indiana’s Implied Consent law.
While Lawson was being detained, Sgt. Compton spoke with the victim at the Glendale Way residence. She reported that Lawson had been drinking and had pushed her during an argument, though she declined to pursue domestic battery charges.
Due to Lawson’s refusal to cooperate with a chemical breath test, Sgt. Daugherty applied for and received a search warrant for a blood draw, signed by Honorable Judge Cline.
Lawson was transported to a local hospital for the procedure, where he allegedly continued to shout derogatory statements and acted rudely toward medical staff and officers. This behavior resulted in an additional charge of disorderly conduct.
Lawson was transported to the Lawrence County Jail and faces the following preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and disorderly conduct.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
