Bernardo Gonzalez

Name:
Gonzalez, Bernardo

Date of Booking:
07/19/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Dui- Driving Under Influence Of Alcohol

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.]

[NARRATIVE #1 on July 19, 2026]

On July 19, 2026, at approximately 7:22 p.m., Deputy E. Garcia of the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, in the performance of his patrol duties, he observed a white 2015 Dodge Ram 3500 bearing Georgia tag [REDACTED] traveling on Scobie Ave toward E. Walnut Ave.

Deputy E. Garcia observed that, upon reaching the stop sign at the intersection of Scobie Ave and E. Walnut Ave, the Ram turned right. Deputy E. Garcia observed that, after turning right onto E. Walnut Ave, the Ram immediately entered the left lane despite the right lane being available.

Deputy E. Garcia then observed the Ram change from the left lane into the right lane without using a turn signal, causing a vehicle that was already traveling in the right lane to apply its brakes after being cut off. Deputy E. Garcia observed the Ram fail to maintain its lane. Deputy E. Garcia then activated the emergency blue lights on his patrol vehicle and conducted a traffic stop at E. Walnut Ave and Blaylock Dr.

Deputy E. Garcia approached the Ram on the driver’s side, identified himself, and explained the reason the driver, later identified as Isaias Bernardo Gonzalez, had been stopped. Deputy E. Garcia observed that Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez was wearing sunglasses despite it being near nightfall. Deputy E. Garcia also detected a slight odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez. Deputy E. Garcia asked Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez how much he had consumed that day. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that he had not consumed any alcohol.

Deputy E. Garcia also observed that Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez had slurred speech. Deputy E. Garcia then asked Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez to step out of the vehicle and walk to the rear of the vehicle, and he complied. Deputy E. Garcia observed that Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez staggered while walking. Deputy E. Garcia also observed that Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez swayed back and forth while standing still.

Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that he did not have his driver’s license with him but handed Deputy E. Garcia his debit card instead. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that the reason he was staggering was because he had not eaten since the previous day. Deputy E. Garcia asked Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez if he was willing to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, and he agreed.

Deputy E. Garcia then notified Sergeant C. Sharpe, who responded to assist with the administration of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.

Deputy E. Garcia then spoke with Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez again and asked him whether he had consumed any alcohol. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that he was separating from his wife, had also lost his job, and that those circumstances were the reason he had not eaten. Deputy E. Garcia then asked Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez for a third time whether he had consumed any alcohol. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez asked whether Deputy E. Garcia would help him if he was honest.

Deputy E. Garcia advised Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez that he would help him to the extent possible. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez then stated that he had consumed two Modelo beers.

Sergeant C. Sharpe arrived on scene and conducted the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez. Deputy E. Garcia observed that, despite multiple explanations of how to perform the first test, Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez failed to follow the instructions by moving his head. Deputy E. Garcia observed that, during the second test, despite multiple explanations and Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stating that he understood the instructions, he failed to properly position himself, failed to walk as demonstrated, took more steps than instructed, and failed to keep his arms at his sides.

Deputy E. Garcia also observed that, during the third test, Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez failed to follow the instructions by being unable to keep one foot raised for several seconds, switching feet, and then holding the other foot in the air for several seconds before lowering it. Sergeant C. Sharpe will complete a supplemental report documenting the details of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.

Sergeant C. Sharpe asked Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez, on a scale of one to ten, with one meaning he had not consumed any alcohol and ten meaning the most alcohol he had ever consumed, where he rated himself. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that he was at a ten. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that he knew he was not in a condition to be driving.

Sergeant C. Sharpe then requested that Dispatch send the on-call towing service. S&M Towing responded to the scene, and the vehicle was released to the towing company upon its arrival.

Based on the totality of the investigation, Deputy E. Garcia reasonably believed that Isaias Bernardo Gonzalez had committed the offenses of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Failure to Maintain Lane. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez was taken into custody, handcuffed, checked for proper fit, and the handcuffs were double-locked.

Deputy E. Garcia then read the Georgia Implied Consent Notice to Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez refused to submit to the state-administered chemical test of his blood to determine the alcohol concentration in his system by stating, verbatim, “I don’t give a f*ck.”

Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez was then transported to the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center. Deputy E. Garcia issued Uniform Traffic Citation, Summons, and Accusation No. WC505993 to Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez for one count of O.C.G.A. 40-6-391, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, and Uniform Traffic Citation, Summons, and Accusation No. WC505994 for one count of O.C.G.A. 40-6-48, Failure to Maintain Lane. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez was turned over to the custody of the detention center staff without further incident or action by this agency.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on July 19, 2026]

On July 19, 2026, at approximately 1926 hours, Deputy Garcia requested assistance from Sgt. Sharpe. Deputy Garcia advised that he believed the driver he had stopped, Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez, was intoxicated.

Upon arrival, Sgt. Sharpe made contact with Deputy Garcia and Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez. Sgt. Sharpe detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that he had consumed two beers. Although Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez spoke some English, Deputy Garcia also translated instructions into Spanish.

Sgt. Sharpe began the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez stated that he did not wear glasses or contact lenses. Sgt. Sharpe attempted to administer the test; however, Mr. Bernardo Gonzalez repeatedly moved his head despite being instructed multiple times to keep his head still and follow the stimulus with his eyes only. Due to his inability to follow the instructions, the HGN test was terminated.

Sgt. Sharpe then administered the Walk-and-Turn test. During the test, Sgt. Sharpe observed the following clues of impairment: Unable to maintain the starting position. Attempted to begin the test before being instructed to do so. Walked off the line multiple times. Missed heel-to-toe on multiple steps. Used his arms for balance. Took an incorrect number of steps, taking 13 steps on the first pass instead of the instructed number.

Sgt. Sharpe next administered the One-Leg Stand test. During the test, Sgt. Sharpe observed the following clues of impairment: Swayed while balancing. Used his arms for balance. Hopped to maintain balance. Put his foot down before the test was complete.

Please see Deputy Garcia’s report for additional details regarding this incident.

[End of Narrative]