Charles Williford

Name:
Williford, Charles Anthony

Date of Booking:
05/21/2026

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

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 05/21/26 Officer Morris was called to responded to the area of Ga Hwy 15 near Triple V Cir, in reference to investigating a potential impaired driver.

Officer Morris arrived on scene after being requested by Sgt. Courtien to investigate the subject he had conducted a traffic stop on for possible impairment. The driver was identified as Mr. Charles Williford, and Officer Morris was advised that Mr. Williford admitted to smoking four to five marijuana filled bongs and drinking a tall beer just before getting stopped. Officer Morris then asked Mr. Williford if he would be willing to perform Standarized Field Sobriety Testing, to which he agreed.

I requested Mr. Williford follow me to a flat area to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Exercises (SFSEs) and ARIDE (Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement) assessments. I confirmed that Mr. Williford did not have any injuries, medical conditions, or physical limitations that would prevent him from performing the tests as instructed. He stated he understood my instructions.

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN)

I first administered the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test. Mr. Williford was instructed to stand with his feet together, hands at his sides, and to follow the stimulus (my pen) with his eyes only, without moving his head. During this test, I observed distinct clues of impairment in both eyes, including nystagmus at maximum deviation and lack of smooth pursuit. Nystagmus was present in each eye and was evident before 45 degrees. These observations are consistent with the presence of a central nervous system depressant, such as alcohol.

Walk and Turn

I next administered the Walk and Turn exercise. Mr. Williford was instructed to stand heel-to-toe on an imaginary straight line, keep his arms at his sides, not begin until told to do so, and then take nine heel-to-toe steps down the line, turn using a series of small steps, and take nine heel-to-toe steps back, all while counting his steps out loud and keeping his arms at his sides.

During the instructional phase, Mr. Williford was unable to maintain the heel to-toe stance as instructed. He lost his balance multiple times, stepping out of position and having to reposition his feet. After I again explained the instructions and told him to begin, Mr. Williford:

• Missed numerous heel-to-toe steps while walking forward, leaving noticeable gaps between his heel and toe.
• Repeated this behavior on the return portion, again missing multiple heel to-toe connections.
• Exhibited difficulty maintaining balance and appeared unsteady during the steps.

These are validated clues of impairment associated with the Walk and Turn exercise.

ARIDE Assessments

As part of the ARIDE protocol, I conducted additional evaluations, including Lack of Convergence and the Modified Romberg Balance test, followed by a Finger-to-Nose test.

Lack of Convergence

Mr. Williford was instructed to follow a stimulus as I moved it inward toward the bridge of his nose. A subject without impairment is typically able to cross their eyes and maintain convergence as the stimulus moves inward. Mr. Williford demonstrated a lack of convergence, as one or both eyes failed to turn inward and maintain focus on the stimulus. This is consistent with impairment by a central nervous system depressant and/or other categories of drugs.

Modified Romberg Balance

For the Modified Romberg test, Mr. Williford was instructed to stand with his feet together, hands at his sides, tilt his head slightly back, close his eyes, and silently estimate when he believed 30 seconds had passed, then say “stop” and open his eyes.

Mr. Williford began the test as instructed. When he stated that 30 seconds had elapsed and opened his eyes, I noted that his actual estimate was approximately 10 seconds off from the 30-second target. In addition to the inaccurate internal clock estimation, Mr. Williford appeared unsteady while standing with his head tilted back, further indicating possible impairment.

Finger-to-Nose

Mr. Williford was then instructed on the Finger-to-Nose test. He was told to stand with his feet together, arms down at his sides, then upon my verbal command (“left” or “right”), bring the indicated hand up to touch the tip of his nose with the tip of his index finger, then return his hand to his side. He was instructed to keep his eyes closed during the test.

During this exercise, Mr. Williford missed numerous finger-to-nose connections. On multiple attempts, his finger landed off to the side or below the tip of his nose rather than making accurate contact with the tip. These repeated inaccuracies are consistent with impairment and reduced motor coordination.

Based on my training and experience, the totality of the circumstances — including Mr. Williford’s performance on the HGN, Walk and Turn, and ARIDE tests (Lack of Convergence, Modified Romberg, and Finger-to-Nose), along with my observations of his balance, coordination, and overall demeanor — led me to form the opinion that Charles Williford was impaired and not safe to operate a motor vehicle or E-Bike.

Mr. Williford was subsequently placed under arrest for Driving Under the Influence and was transported to the Sandersville Police Department for further processing in accordance with agency policy.

[End of Narrative]