Argument leads to arrest
Feb. 10—A Berea man was arrested after two Berea Police Officers spotted an argument in progress.
Hunter Isak Wagers, Berea, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, operating on a suspended or revoked license, possession of an open alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle, and first-degree wanton endangerment.
Two officers with the BPD pulled into the parking lot of the Pizza Hut across the lot from Circle K. They saw a maroon vehicle and a black vehicle pull up next to each other and could hear screaming coming from the vehicles.
One of the officers made contact with the black truck, which was driven by Wagers. Text in the arrest citation said the officer could instantly smell alcohol on Wagers. Wagers was read his Miranda Warning and told the officer he had been drinking and the other vehicle had allegedly been tailgating him.
This led to an argument between the two men.
According to the man in the other vehicle, Wagers allegedly pulled a handgun on them after the tailgating incident. They could not tell who he was pointing the gun at. One of the witnesses said Wagers got out of his truck and pointed it directly at him, with the barrel being three or four inches away from his face. Other passengers in the car corroborated this incident.
Wagers claimed, while he did have a gun, he kept it in his pocket the entire time and never pointed it at anyone. He allegedly said he threw in the bed of his truck when he saw the officers arrive. When one of the officers approached him, Wagers had been standing outside of the truck, with the handgun being in the truck bed. When clearing the pistol (identified as a Taurus 9mm) the officer noticed that it had a round chambered.
Along with the handgun, a citation indicated Wagers' truck also contained several empty cans of alcoholic beverages. Wagers said he had been drinking before he was driving and he had four shots of whiskey.
Wagers failed several field sobriety tests. A breathalyzer test showed the presence of alcohol. According to a citation, Wagers admitted he should not have been drinking, but even though he was drunk, he could still drive. An attorney was not contacted.
The Register collects and publishes police reports as a public service to its readers. The reports often contain allegations against individuals and do not mean the individuals committed a crime. All people named in connection with a crime are presumed innocent until guilty in a court of law.
