Clayton County commissioner charged with DUI

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By Katie Leslie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Clayton County Commissioner Wole Ralph has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence, according to Atlanta police.

Wole Ralph was charged with DUI, obstruction, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane.

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Ralph was arrested around 2:30 a.m. Saturday after Atlanta police officers observed a red Mustang "driving recklessly" out of a parking lot on the 1900 block of Metropolitan Parkway in Southwest Atlanta, according to Atlanta police spokesman Curtis Davenport.

Officers stopped the vehicle and reported the driver refused to cooperate. After a brief struggle, Ralph was arrested.

Emergency responders were called to the scene when Ralph complained of pain, but the commissioner did not need to be treated at a hospital, according to police. Ralph was transported to the Atlanta Grady Detention Center for DUI processing, according to Davenport.

As of Saturday afternoon, Ralph has been released, said Clayton County spokeswoman Jamie Carlington.

He was taken to the Atlanta City Detention Center and released on a $4,300 bond, according to a jail official.

Carlington said the commission is not commenting at this time, but Ralph is expected to issue a statement Saturday night or Sunday.

Ralph has been charged with a DUI, obstruction, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane.

Ralph was charged with DUI, obstruction, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane.

Ralph, 33, is vice president of the Clayton County Commission. He was elected to his first term at 26 and was the youngest county commissioner in Georgia, according to the county's website. Among his many awards, according to his Clayton County Commission profile, is the Community Champion Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

Staff writer Kristi E. Swartz contributed to this article.