SHORELINE, Wash. — A man suspected of driving under the influence got himself into extra trouble when he allegedly attempted to bribe a King County Sheriff's deputy.
The deputy was on routine patrol Monday at 1:32 a.m. when he saw a vehicle speeding and running multiple red lights in the 14500 block of Aurora Ave. N., according to King County Sheriff officials.
The deputy started following the vehicle and its driver eventually made a U-turn and pulled into a nearby parking lot. The deputy pulled in behind the driver and activated his emergency lights.
When the deputy approached the vehicle, he noticed the driver's eyes were bloodshot and watery, according to officials. The driver appeared to be "very" intoxicated and said he "messed up and I just want to go home," officials said.
When the deputy asked the driver to get out of the vehicle, the driver allegedly handed the deputy $664 in cash, officials said. The deputy asked the driver what he was doing, to which he replied he wanted the deputy to have it because he "messed up," officials said.
"In the law enforcement profession, we call this a bribe," sheriff officials wrote in their Facebook post about the incident.
The driver agreed to a field sobriety test and during the test he would stop, smile and wink at the deputy with a head nod, according to officials.
It was no surprise to the deputy that the driver scored poorly on the sobriety test. When the deputy informed the driver he was under arrest for investigation of DUI, the driver turned belligerent and refused to obey the deputy's commands, officials said.
The driver was eventually taken into custody safely and booked into the King County Jail. He is facing charges for driving under the influence and investigation of bribery, officials said.
