‘Come on, man': Gwinnett deputy arrested for DUI
A Gwinnett County sheriff’s deputy arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit, police said.
Melvin Robinson, 40, allegedly drove his GMC Denali in "a circle" in the middle of I-85 North near Pleasant Hill Road, then proceeded well below the speed limit, "swerving all over the road," according to the Gwinnett County police report.
The patrol officer who pulled Robinson over said he was driving 30 MPH on Hwy. 316, where the speed limit is 25 MPH higher. Robinson informed the officer he was a deputy sheriff and said he had not been drinking, though he later admitted to having one malt liquor two hours earlier.
Robinson was then asked if he was willing to perform a field sobriety test. "Come 0n, man," he said.
"There ain't no ‘Come on, man' in Gwinnett County,' " the officer replied, telling Robinson he would not be receiving preferential treatment.
The sheriff's deputy eventually consented to a sobriety test and, according to the officer, performed badly. On the state breath test, Robinson registered a .158, states the incident report.
A Gwinnett sheriff's spokesman said Robinson will serve in a non-law enforcement capacity pending an internal investigation.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
