Miami Police officer arrested for alleged DUI on Halloween
MIAMI — A City of Miami Police officer was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence on Halloween.
Miami Police stated in an arrest affidavit that Joevanih Sauvagere, 31, was arrested for DUI on the morning of Halloween.
According to the affidavit, a different Miami Police officer responded to the area of NW 6th Avenue and NW 62nd Street in reference to a possible DUI around 6:57 a.m. on Halloween. Upon arrival, they found a silver Infiniti Q50A facing southbound on NW 6th Avenue.
They then spoke with a second officer on the scene, who advised them that the driver, later identified as Sauvagere, was detained in the back seat of their police vehicle. As they came to the vehicle and opened the door to speak with him, the officer smelled a "very strong odor" of alcohol from his breath and that he had "bloodshot, watery eyes and his eyelids were droopy." According to the affidavit, the officer requested that Sauvagere perform a sobriety test, but he refused. Police then called upon City of Miami Fire Rescue to assist because he wasn't feeling well.
Then, the officer spoke with a Miami-Dade School Board Police officer, who was the one who originally found Sauvagere. According to the school board officer, he was in the area of NW 4th Avenue and NW 62nd Street when he was flagged down by a silver vehicle nearby where its driver was passed out.
When the school board officer came to the car, they saw that its driver — identified as Sauvagere — appeared to be unconscious and began banging on the driver's window, hearing "very loud music." He then turned down the music and lowered the window. The school board officer commanded Sauvagere to put his car in park, but he instead put it in reverse, moved a couple of feet, stopped and parked the vehicle.
Then, another City of Miami Police officer arrived on the scene to assist. At this point, the school board officer saw that there was a gun on Sauvagere's lap and that he was put at gunpoint. Due to him "nodding in and out," the Miami officer grabbed Sauvagere's gun and took it out of the car. Once more officers arrived, Sauvagere was removed from the vehicle and detained by the school board officer. According to the affidavit, Sauvagere appeared under the influence of something but officers couldn't determine the substance and he appeared to have been "loopy and having slurred speech."
Sauvagere was then placed into a Miami Police vehicle and transported to TGK.