DUI suspect cursed, kicked and nearly collided with Deputy

Violent DUI Arrest

MILTON – 47-year-old Thomas Beldon Long, of Milton, was arrested by a Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputy late October 26.

The deputy was present in the area between U.S. Highway 90 and State Road 87, looking for a possible drunk driver. He had received a call earlier that a vehicle, which had left the parking lot of the Night Train Tavern, had struck several cars as it was leaving the parking lot.

When the deputy approached the intersection of SR 87 and Welcome Church Road, he identified the vehicle, a pickup truck, traveling east on Welcome Church. The vehicle was moving at very high speed and did not stop at the intersection either, almost colliding with the deputy’s patrol car.

The deputy kept chasing the vehicle, and finally stopped it at a shell station on SR 87. He approached the driver of the pickup truck and noted that his speech was slow and slurred. The driver was also unsteady on his feet and had to lean against his truck to keep his balance. The deputy then administered a field sobriety test, which Long failed. Long was then arrested for DUI by the deputy.

When the deputy put Long in the back of his cruiser, Long started yelling and cursing him. He then started kicking the back door window of the cruiser in an attempt to free himself. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputy had to “hobble” Long after he cursed and tried to kick the back window of his patrol car. Long even kicked the deputy in the chest, but the deputy finally subdued him.

Long was taken to the Santa Rosa County jail, where again he became combative with the staff members. He was then restrained and was administered a breathalyzer test which he refused.

Long is being charged with DUI and battery on an officer. He is scheduled to appear in court but his court date has not been released.