By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – Thatcher firefighter/EMT Jeffrey Andrew Boothe, 29, was arrested Saturday, May 4, for DUI, and two counts of aggravated DUI after an officer witnessed him driving after leaving a local bar.
While on patrol, an officer noticed Boothe’s white, Chevy truck parked outside of a bar. The truck stood out due to its star of life sticker and Arizona EMT sticker. The officer noted in his report that he continually saw the truck at the bar throughout his shift from 9 p.m. through 1:30 a.m. and knew that Boothe already had a suspended license from a previous DUI charge.
At about 2 a.m., the officer was eastbound on 8th Street near the intersection with 8th Avenue when he saw the same white, Chevy pickup truck southbound on 8th Avenue. As the truck turned westbound onto 8th Street and drove past the officer, he noticed Boothe was driving.
The officer turned around and said Boothe made an “immediate and abrupt turn into the Giant” gas station and parked in front of the store. Boothe was exiting the truck when the officer, with emergency lights lit, pulled up next to him to initiate a traffic stop for driving on a suspended license.
Upon contact, Boothe could not provide proof of insurance or registration, and the officer later learned the vehicle’s registration was suspended and expired. The officer also learned that Boothe’s vehicle was supposed to be equipped with an ignition interlock device that prohibits operation until the driver blows into a tube to show he or she is sober. The truck did not have any such device installed.
Boothe initially told the officer he was just out to by a gallon of milk for his daughter but then later “reluctantly” admitted he had been drinking at a bar. He first said he only had a little bit to drink but then later admitted that he was probably over the standard limit for a DUI, according to the officer’s report.
When asked if he would perform field sobriety tests, Boothe allegedly told the officer that he was a firefighter and EMT on the Thatcher Fire Department and he understood the officer’s job because he helped people every day. The officer told Boothe that he understood his job well and that he was aware of his position.
After failing sections of the field sobriety test, the officer placed Boothe under arrest for DUI. Boothe questioned the arrest and believed he had passed all the tests. He was then taken to the Safford Police Department, where his blood was taken for testing purposes. His truck was towed from the scene and impounded.
After the blood draw, Boothe was released into the care of his friends. Possible charges of DUI and two counts of aggravated DUI for driving impaired with a suspended license and failure to install an interlock device are pending lab test results and review by the Graham County Attorney’s Office.
