A city man was taken into custody by police investigating a report of a man walking in traffic and stepping in front of moving vehicles.
Michael Vines, 42, 1706 Scenic Drive, was arrested Friday by Carter County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Roger Brown and charged with public intoxication.
According to a police report by Brown, the officer was dispatched to the area of Muse Avenue in the Biltmore community after a 911 caller reported a male subject was walking in the roadway and “staggering in front of moving vehicles.”
Brown said he responded to the area and located a male subject nearby in the 100 block of Smith Avenue.
“I observed the male subject looking at me then pouring a liquid beverage out later identified as beer,” Brown said. “While pouring his beverage out the male subject nearly fell to the ground.”
According to the report, Brown was able to identify the man as Vines and also noted while speaking with Vines he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage about his person, had slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet.
Brown said when he asked Vines for his identification Vines dropped his wallet and then “nearly fell to the ground” when he attempted to retrieve it. The officer said Vines originally reported he had consumed three or four beers but later said he drank six or seven beers.
“It was determined that for Mr. Vines’ safety and the safety of the public that Mr. Vines be arrested for public intoxication,” Brown said.