By Shereen Siewert
A Hatley man accused of his sixth drunken driving offense tried to flee officers, who used a Taser to subdue him, court documents show.
Darryn W. West, 53, faces felony drunken driving charges and two counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. The charges were filed Monday, Oct. 28 in Marathon County Circuit Court. He is free on a $10,000 cash bond.
A Marathon County deputy tried to pull West’s vehicle over at about 12:27 a.m. Oct. 26 on Hwy. 49 in the town of Franzen for multiple moving vehicle violations. According to the police report West was speeding and weaving within his lane, narrowly missing a deer without so much as tapping his brakes. After the deputy activated his emergency lights, West continued on for about three-quarters of a mile before braking and coming to a stop directly in the middle of an intersection, the report states.
After stopping, West allegedly admitted to drinking at a Portage County bar and told officers, “you guys got me, man.”
But when he was asked to turn over his keys, West allegedly refused, then placed the keys back in the ignition and started the vehicle. Two deputies tried to remove West from the vehicle, but he resisted, the report states. That’s when one deputy deployed his electrical weapon twice, once into West’s left shoulder and a second time into the West’s abdomen, according to the report.
West, who refused a blood test, but deputies obtained a warrant for his blood and transported him to a local hospital before taking him to the Marathon County Jail. Test results are pending.
Court records show West’s last OWI conviction was in 2005. He faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted.
An indigency hearing is set for Thursday.
