Swerving Driver Charged With DUI Jan. 1

WARWICK, RI — Officer Connor Bemis arrested a swerving driver on Lincoln Avenue after spotting his gold Honda Civic swerving on Post Road Jan. 1 at 1:52 a.m.

Bemis, who was on a DUI enforcement patrol, spotted the swerving Honda as it moved erratically toward oncoming traffic, then near a State Trooper conducting a traffic stop of his own on Post Road. The driver turned onto Lincoln Avenue as Bemis turned on his lights to pull him over, according to the officer’s report.

With the Honda stopped, Bemis identified the driver as Donovan Lemus Catalan, 23, of 31 Killingly St., Apt. 3, Providence. He was shortly joined by two fellow officers, Bemis reported. As they spoke, Bemis reported Catalan’s speech was heavy and slurred, and Spanish. His eyes were watery and bloodshot, and he smelled strongly of alcohol, according to Bemis’s report.

Bemis noted Catalan had vomited inside the car. He asked Catalan to step out, which he did, and as the man got out, Bemis noted there was vomit in the  man’s beard, according to the report.

During a series of sobriety tests, Catalan demonstrated a lack of smooth pursuit and involuntary movement in his vision, an inability to walk heel-to-toe without using his arms for balance, and a similar difficulty standing on one leg, using his arms for balance and putting his foot down.

Bemis arrested Catalan on suspicion of DUI and transported him to Warwick Police Headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he refused to take a breath test of his blood alcohol. Bemis charged him with DUI, blood alcohol content unknown, and cited him or refusing the test. Bemis also cited him for driving with an expired license, lane violations, and turn signal use.

Catalan was later released into the custody of a sober adult.