Arkansas Police Mistakenly Charge Diabetic Man With DUI

James Bludsworth was tasered and went into diabetic coma after being mistaken for drunk driving.

Ozark police found James Bludsworth slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle 4 p.m. and suspected drunk driving. Bludsworth reportedly became violent when the officer asked him to get out of the car and at least three other police cars were dispatched to the scene. Bludsworth, 54, was hit with a taser to get him to comply and he then either had a seizure or went into a diabetic coma.

A veteran police officer was involved, and the police department issued a statement saying, “officers are trained to know the difference between a person who is sick and one who is drunk and if they’re sick an officer would have called the paramedics”. A spokesperson went on to say that “once you arrest someone, they can’t be unarrested”. During booking at the Dale County Jail, however, officers noted something was wrong with Bludsworth and sought treatment for him.

The police then dropped the charge of drunk driving in Arkansas though Bludsworth still had to post a $1,000 bond and he will have to make a court appearance. Bludsworth registered blood alcohol content of 0.00 during a breath test.

No disciplinary action is pending against the arresting officer.

Tags: DUI and Diabetic Coma