News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Law enforcement in Putnam County was active over Labor Day weekend, making roughly 13 arrests on intoxication-related charges in four days.
Baxter Police Chief Danny Holmes said holiday weekends typically see an increase in arrests of those under the influence.
“We always feel like the holiday three-day weekend always bring out the worst in people,” Holmes said. “We feel like they drink more and I think that was the case here in Baxter.”
Two people were arrested at the Speedway station in Baxter Monday on DUI charges. 59-year-old Randy Lynn Cantrell, of Cookeville, and 48-year-old Nathan Angel Christian, of Franklin, Maine, were charged and booked into the Putnam County Jail.
“[One of the men] was very belligerent to our officer and didn’t want to cooperate,” Holmes said. “I just think – and it’s not just in Baxter, it’s everywhere – as a law enforcement officer, we just feel like if you’re going to drink just stay at home.”
The DUI arrest wasn’t the only incident in Baxter over the weekend, as police arrested 47-year-old Shelia Marie Gallardo for public intoxication after she was found lying on the ground in the rain and unresponsive.
Holmes said making these arrests can be critical as officers can save lives by stopping those under the influence.
“You don’t know what an intoxicated person is going to do,” Holmes said. “They’re definitely not at their best when they’re driving. I just feel like that every officer, no matter where they’re at, if they can get these people off the road, who knows. We may have saved their lives by placing them under arrest.”
Cookeville Police made several intoxication-related arrests over the weekend as well, including a Simpsonville, SC woman near Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
A Cookeville man was also arrested by CPD for public intoxication and domestic assault. 33-year-old Lee Jesse Mendez faces charges and is being held on $1,248 bond at the Putnam County Jail.
