Brandon Beam

Name:
BEAM, BRANDON DAVID

Date of Booking:
09/13/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
DUI – ALCOHOL LESS SAFE

NO PROOF OF INSURANCE

HIT AND RUN; DUTY OF DRIVER TO STOP AT OR RETURN TO SCENE OF ACCIDENT

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

[NARRATIVE #1 on September 13, 2025]

On September 13, 2025, I, Officer Morris responded to a Motor Vehicle Accident at Highway 61 and Interstate 20 involving a Toyota sedan and a Ford Mustang. While en-route, dispatch advised the Mustang bearing Georgia tag [REDACTED BY AGENCY] fled the scene.

I arrived at the accident scene and made contact with the complainant, [WITNESS #1]. I collected all pertinent information for the accident report. Including, providing [WITNESS #1] with a picture of the registered owner of the Mustang, Brandon Beam and asked if that was the driver of the vehicle. [WITNESS #1] advised Beam was the driver. After collecting all information, [WITNESS #1] was released.

I was informed other Villa Rica Officers had located the Mustang at 120 Highway 61 Connector at the Hometowne Lodge. Upon my arrival to the motel, I observed Sergeant Massey conducting a DUI investigation on Beam. (See Sergeant Massey supplemental)

Sergeant Massey conducted Standardized Field Sobriety and informed me that Beam was under the influence of alcohol. I secured Beam in Double locked handcuffs to the rear. Beam was searched incident to arrest and seated in the rear seat of my patrol vehicle, which was searched and cleared prior to my shift. Beam was transported to Villa Rica Police Department where he was booked-in, fingerprinted and served with citations for; Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Failure to Stop and Render Aid (Hit and Run) and Failure to Maintain Insurance.

It should be noted, while booking Beam in, he asked, “would it have made a difference if the other guy had hit me?” I asked Beam to clarify his question. Beam asked, “If he hit me, I would still go to jail, because I had been drinking?”

Beam was later transported to Carroll County Jail for housing.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on September 13, 2025]

On 9/13/2025, at approximately 22:42 hours, I, Sgt. Massey, arrived at 120 Highway 61 Connector (Hometown Lodge) in reference to a vehicle having been located that was involved in a hit and run. The registered owner of the vehicle, Brandon Beam, had been located in his room at the Hometown Lodge (Room [REDACTED]). It should be noted this address (including room number) is the address listed on the NCIC/GCIC return for the license plate affixed to the rear of the vehicle (GA tag: [REDACTED BY AGENCY]).

Beam walked downstairs and met with me in the parking lot by his vehicle. Beam was asked what happened to his car. In response, Beam asked what we were referring to as if he didn’t see the obvious front-end damage on the vehicle. Beam asked officers where the front end damage was that we were referring to. Beam’s vehicle, a 2015 gray Ford Mustang, had obvious front end damage which was indicative of a collision with another vehicle. After all of the damage was pointed out to Beam, he stated the vehicle was a used vehicle and had this damage upon him purchasing it.

I informed Beam that another officer (Ofc. Morris) was currently on scene at a vehicle accident in which the other party involved in the accident provided Beam’s tag to dispatch as the other vehicle involved in the accident. I asked Beam to be honest with me and asked him if he was in a wreck a short time ago. Beam replied by stating he was not. I asked Beam who was in the wreck, to which Beam replied someone else. I again asked Beam to be honest with me and asked him if he was just in an accident. Beam stated that he was. As I spoke with Beam, I smelled the odor consistent with the consumption of alcoholic beverages emanating from his breath. I observed Beam to have glossy, watery eyes and slightly slurred speech. Beam was also slow to respond to my questions and acted in a lethargic manner.

I asked Beam what happened, referring to the accident. Beam stated he misjudged the clearance between his vehicle and the other vehicle involved in the accident. I asked Beam if he had anything to drink on this date. Beam replied, “a little bit.” I asked Beam what he consumed, to which he replied, “couple beers.” I asked Beam when he had the beers. Beam stated he consumed the beers prior to operating his vehicle. I asked Beam what kind of beer he consumed. Beam stated he drank 12-ounce Stella Artois. I again asked Beam how many beers he had, to which he replied, “more than I should’ve.” Beam stated he consumed these beers between 2000 and 2100 hours. I believed Beam was not being truthful regarding the number of beers he consumed, so I asked him again how many he drank. Beam stated he consumed approximately 4 beers.

I asked Beam if he would consent to participating in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing to ensure it was safe for him to be driving. In response, Beam exhaled, looked down, and began rubbing his face with his hand. Beam did not provide a direct answer to my question. I asked Beam if he had anything to drink once he got back to his residence. Beam stated he had, “a sip or two.” Beam then claimed he drank two beers while at his residence before officers arrived on scene.

It should be noted the accident was dispatched at 2231 hours and dispatch was informed by the other party involved in the accident that Beam was fleeing the scene at 2225 hours. Beam drove past the FLOCK camera stationed on Highway 61 just north of Interstate 20 westbound at 2239 hours and Ofc. Hemingway called out with the Mustang at the Hometown Lodge at 2240 hours. This means that Beam would have only had a very short period of time to consumed the two beers he claimed to drink while at his residence prior to officer arrival.

I again asked Beam if he consented to participating in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing to ensure it was safe for him to be driving. Beam consented to participating in the tests. Upon relocating to the front of my patrol vehicle, Beam claimed he had been in his room for 20 minutes as I questioned his truthfulness regarding him consuming alcoholic beverages after arriving back at his residence. This is not true and was proven by the FLOCK camera hit previously noted. I believed Beam to be lying regarding his alcohol consumption after returning to his residence.

Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST)

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN): 6 of 6 clues

Beam was positioned in front of my Villa Rica patrol vehicle, on relatively flat and level pavement. When asked if he had any head injuries that he was aware of, Beam replied, “yeah, many.” Beam stated the last time he had a head injury was on this date when he bumped his head on a piece of pipe at work. Beam stated he did not seek medical attention or see a doctor regarding this “bump’.

I verified with Beam that if he had not sought medical attention, then the “bump” must have not been very severe. Beam agreed. Beam stated Beam was instructed to follow a stimulus, my finger, with his eyes while keeping his head stationary. Beam advised he understood the instructions and indicated he was ready to begin the assessment.

• Beam had equal tracking and equal pupil size in his left and right eye.
• Beam had lack of smooth pursuit his left and right eye.
• Beam had distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation in his left and right eye.
• Beam had onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degree in his left and right eye.

It should be noted Beam failed to continuously follow the stimulus, my finger, continuously despite him stating he understood the instructions to do so. I believed Beam was attempting to “cheat” the test by focusing at an object off in the distance as opposed to following the stimulus.

Beam stated he had back issues which he believed would prevent him from performing the Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand evaluations. Therefore, these evaluations were not performed.

Portable Alco-sensor: .168 BAC (Positive)

I obtained a department issued portable alco-sensor. Beam provided a breath sample, which returned with a reading of .168 BAC, indicating a positive presence of alcohol.

I determined Beam to be under the influence of alcohol. I informed Ofc. Morris of my findings. Ofc. Morris secured Beam to the rear in handcuffs. Beam was searched incident to arrest and no contraband was located. Ofc. Morris read Beam the Georgia Implied Consent Notice for Suspects Age 21 or Over (DDS-354, 05/2019) verbatim, requesting a state administered chemical test of his blood. Beam consented to the test. The blood-draw was conducted at the police department. Ofc. Morris obtained the blood sample and dropped it into evidence (VR-019113).

[End of Narrative]