A Mount Pleasant man is facing multiple charges after an early morning traffic stop led to his arrest on August 2.
According to court records, Jesse Mitchell Koelling-Cook, 44, was charged with Operating While Under the Influence, First Offense, and Interference with Official Acts.
The criminal complaint states a Mount Pleasant police officer was stopped at the intersection of East Warren and South Jefferson Streets around 2:08 a.m. when he heard a vehicle with an unusually loud muffler. The officer then observed the vehicle traveling approximately 45 miles per hour in a 25 mile-per-hour zone in the 300 block of South Jefferson Street before initiating a traffic stop.
According to the affidavit, the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol, observed slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes, and reported Koelling-Cook admitted he had consumed “too much” alcohol. The complaint says he appeared unsteady on his feet, failed the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, refused the walk-and-turn and one-leg stand field sobriety tests, provided a preliminary breath test reading of 0.195 BrAC, and later refused a Datamaster breath test.
Court documents also allege that after the OWI investigation concluded, Koelling-Cook failed to comply with officers’ commands while being escorted from the Datamaster room. The affidavit states he turned toward an officer and attempted to push him away before officers placed him in handcuffs and moved him to a holding cell, leading to the interference charge.
In addition to the criminal charges, Koelling-Cook was cited for speeding and for failing to provide proof of financial liability.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.