Deputy Spots Sheriff's Vehicle Swerving 'All Over Roadway'

A Georgia sheriff is facing a DUI charge after a deputy spotted his county-issued SUV swerving "all over the roadway" in broad daylight. Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch was arrested around 10:30am on Feb. 27 after one of his deputies recognized his vehicle and radioed the Georgia State Patrol to handle the stop, according to a police report cited by Fox 5 Atlanta. The deputy followed the vehicle to a residence. The deputy said that when a state trooper arrived, the sheriff was so unsteady on his feet he wasn't sure if he could make it to the trooper's vehicle, WSB-TV reports. The trooper reported a "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath" and said Couch admitted he had been drinking.

According to a newly released Georgia State Patrol incident report, the sheriff said he "screwed up" and had started drinking Four Lokos around 6am, 11Alive reports. He said he had his last drink around 8am. His blood-alcohol level registered 0.212%, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08%, and officers said they found two open "Bahama Mama" drinks in the vehicle. Couch was booked into his own jail and released on bond the same night. The 63-year-old has been the country's elected law enforcement chief for more than a decade, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but it's not clear whether he will return to the position.