John McDaniel

Name:
McDaniel, John Michael

Date of Booking:
07/27/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
DUI – LESS SAFE

OBSTRUCTING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

POSSESSION OF OPEN ALCOHOL CONTAINER

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

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 July 27, 2025]

On Sunday, July 27, 2025, at 00:08, the Clayton Police were dispatched to Taco Bell, located at 303 Highway 441 North, Clayton, GA, for a report of an intoxicated person. Dispatch indicated that a male was in the drive-through, revving his engine and cursing at employees. The male was driving a white Dodge pickup at the pickup window.

Clayton Police Sergeant Beck was the first officer to arrive at the scene. He observed a vehicle matching the disruption description at the drive-through window. Beck exited his patrol unit and approached the vehicle but could not reach the driver’s side because it was positioned too close to the building. Beck asked the male driver, identified as John Michael McDaniel, to pull into a parking spot until the situation could be resolved. McDaniel agreed but, upon receiving his food, did not pull into a parking stall and instead left the area.

Beck pursued him south on Highway 441 to Rickman Street. As McDaniel went to exit Rickman, Beck activated his emergency lights to get him to stop. McDaniel crossed the Days Inn parking lot, located at 54 Highway 441 North, and came to a stop in a parking stall next to the building. Beck approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and inquired about the incident at Taco Bell. McDaniel replied that he had gotten his food and left.

When McDaniel exited the vehicle, he told Beck he was going to his room to eat. Beck attempted to detain him by instructing him to stay multiple times, but McDaniel refused, insisting he would not remain there. As McDaniel began to walk away, Beck reached out to stop him, but McDaniel pulled away several times. During Beck’s second attempt to secure McDaniel’s hands behind his back, McDaniel exclaimed, “Come on, big boy.” He then pulled away and attempted to open the truck’s door. Beck continued to tell McDaniel to put his hands behind his back, but he did not comply, insisting he had done nothing wrong. Beck explained that McDaniel was supposed to pull into the parking stall but failed to do so.

Beck then drew his taser and instructed McDaniel to place his hands behind his back, but he still did not comply. During the altercation, Beck noted a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from McDaniel’s breath. When Officer Sarah Chapman arrived, McDaniel asked who had called the police and inquired about the situation. Beck informed him that he obstructed the officer by not stopping and allowing them to investigate the incident. He also noted the smell of alcohol and McDaniel’s apparent intoxication, based on his aggressive behavior.

McDaniel, still aggressive, insisted he only pulled up to get his food without causing any problems. Beck and Chapman attempted once again to place McDaniel in handcuffs, but he resisted. The officers stepped back, and Beck drew his taser. He aimed it at McDaniel and repeated his request for McDaniel to put his hands behind his back, but McDaniel continued to refuse. The officers yelled verbal commands to get him to comply, but these attempts were unsuccessful.

Chapman then tried to handcuff McDaniel, yet he still resisted. Fearing the situation was escalating, Beck discharged his taser, successfully connecting with both probes into McDaniel’s back. McDaniel still would not comply with the officers. Beck discharged the taser a second time, worried that the first shot had lost connection. After the second discharge, Chapman was able to handcuff McDaniel.

Once in custody, McDaniel was placed in the back passenger side of Beck’s patrol car. Since he was being arrested for DUI, Beck read him the Georgia implied consent notice for suspects aged 21 or over and requested a state-administered blood test, which McDaniel refused. Beck transported him to the Rabun County Detention Center and turned him over to the staff without incident. He completed a required form upon entering the jail.

While at the jail, McDaniel observed Beck and remarked, “You’re that big, and you had to tase me because you’re scared.” He then began to meow like a kitten in an attempt to provoke fear in Beck. Beck explained the reason behind the form and informed McDaniel that his license would be suspended for forty-five days if he did not schedule a hearing. McDaniel then signed the form in acknowledgment. Beck charged McDaniel with DUI due to his level of intoxication and for driving on a state highway. He was also charged with obstruction of law enforcement for his resistance to the officers and disorderly conduct for his actions at Taco Bell.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on July 27, 2025]

On Sunday, July 27, 2025, Officer Sarah Chapman of the City of Clayton police responded to a report regarding an intoxicated driver operating a white Dodge truck in the Taco Bell drive-thru. Sergeant Beck made contact with the suspect, while I spoke with Taco Bell employee [WITNESS #1]. [WITNESS #1] informed me that an older male was driving the white Dodge truck and that the male had been cursing and behaving aggressively toward the Taco Bell staff. He expressed his belief that the man was under the influence of a substance.

Sergeant Beck then requested additional units to his location. After leaving Taco Bell, I responded to the Days Inn. Upon arrival, Sergeant Beck was with the white Dodge truck. A white male, later identified as John McDaniel, was at the open passenger door of the vehicle. He did not comply with orders to put his hands behind his back and continued to reach into his truck. I attempted to place handcuffs on McDaniel’s wrists; however, he resisted and pulled away. At that point, Sergeant Beck used a Taser on McDaniel. He continued to resist and refused to follow the officers’ orders, resulting in him being tased a second time. McDaniel was ultimately handcuffed behind his back, and the cuffs were double-locked and checked for fit.

I noticed that McDaniel’s speech was slurred and that there was a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. Additionally, I observed multiple open beer cans on the rear floor of the driver’s side of the vehicle. McDaniel was placed in the rear seat of Sergeant Beck’s patrol vehicle. I then met with the complainants, [WITNESS #2] and [WITNESS #3], who reported that the white Dodge truck had been behind them in the Taco Bell drive-thru. They mentioned that the driver had repeatedly revved his truck and that the Taco Bell staff was upset with McDaniel, having informed [WITNESS #3] that he had cursed at them. [WITNESS #3] believed the driver was under the influence due to his behavior and slurred speech, prompting him to return to his vehicle and instruct his wife, [WITNESS #2], to call 911 to report the male driver.

[End of Narrative]