Laron Butts

Name:
Butts, Laron

Date of Booking:
05/23/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

OPEN CONTAINER IN PASSENGER AREA OF VEHICLE IN OPERATION

FAILURE TO MAINTAIN LANE

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.]

On 5/23/26, I Ofc Bradstreet was traveling south on Greison Trail. I observed the black truck in front of me struggling to maintain its lane of travel. There were several lane violations in both directions. I also observed that all turns negotiated by the truck were taken extremely wide causing the truck to enter the oncoming lane of travel. The vehicle was also varying speeds more than normal. I then activated my emergency equipment and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Poplar Rd.

I then approached the driver side of the vehicle and made contact with the driver and sole occupant, Laron Butts. I immediately observed the strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. His eyes were also bloodshot and watery and his speech was slurred and thick. I advised him of the reason for the stop and obtained his driver’s license. I observed his hand and finger movements to be sluggish.

I then returned to my car and ran both the truck and Laron through [REDACTED BY AGENCY] while waiting for an additional officer. I did not discover anything to note. I returned to the suspect vehicle and asked Laron to exit the vehicle. Laron complied and exited the vehicle.

I then asked him where he was coming from. He stated that he was watching an NBA playoff game at Sip & Cigar. I then asked him how much he had to drink there tonight. He stated that he did not have anything to drink but water. I then asked him when the last time he had alcohol was. He stated that it was earlier tonight at approximately 2100 hours. He stated that he had 1 glass of whisky. While he was speaking to me, I could smell the strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath. I also observed Laron swaying in a circular motion while standing still.

I then asked if he would be willing to participate in Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST). He agreed. I began this battery of test with Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN).

HGN 6/6 Clues

I began HGN by medically qualifying Laron. I checked for equal tracking, equal pupil size, and resting nystagmus. I then observed lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in both eyes. He also presented with Vertical Gaze Nystagmus indicating a high dose for him. I also observed him swaying in a circular motion while conducting this test. I then moved on to the Walk and Turn (W/T).

I did not complete the Walk and Turn or the One Leg Stand test due to Laron’s [REDACTED BY AGENCY].

I then asked if he would be willing to blow into my PBT. He agreed. The result was a .083.

I then advised him that he was under arrest for DUI. I allowed him to walk with his cane to my patrol vehicle. I then placed him in handcuffs in front, checked for fit, and double locked them. I then read him implied consent from my green, agency issued card and requested the state test of his breath. He denied this test. I then reread Implied consent from the same card and requested the state test of his blood. Laron also denied this test.

Upon a search of the vehicle incident to arrest and for the source of the intoxicant, I located a flask in a cross-body bag that Laron was wearing when I initially stopped him. This flask was ¾ empty with what appeared to be whisky. I also located a travel mug on the passenger floorboard. This mug was also ¾ empty with what appeared to be whisky. In the bed of the truck, I located a cooler. In the cooler was an open handle of John Barr whisky. This bottle was missing approximately 1/4. The cooler also contained several Modelo, Corona, and Guiness Beers. All bottles and cans were still covered in solid ice.

I then turned the vehicle over to Ofc Townsend to wait for a licensed driver. I then transported him to the Coweta County Jail where he was then turned over to jail staff for processing.

Laron was cited for DUI, Open Container, and failure to maintain lane.

A DDS1205 form was completed and a temporary license issued. While I was issuing the DDS1205 form, I went over his 3 citations. He questioned the open container citation. I advised him of the flask and the travel mug that were located. He stated that he had forgotten about those and had not drank from them in a while, indicating that they were, in fact, alcoholic beverages.

[End of Narrative]