Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald
Two passengers also cited for underage drinking
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – Braden Schmidt, 19, was arrested and given citations for criminal speeding and underage DUI after he was clocked going 67 mph in a 35-mph zone with alcohol in his body in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 20. A bag of marijuana was also found in his possession but he advised he is a medical marijuana cardholder.
Two other underage passengers, Sean Ticer and Justice Robinson, both 18, were also given citations for underage alcohol violations.
According to a Safford Police report, Schmidt drove eastbound past an officer at about 1:48 a.m. in the 300 block of E. U.S. Highway 70 traveling at 67 mph. The officer, who was initially westbound, turned around and caught up to Schmidt near the entrance to the Sunrise Village RV and Mobile Home Resort and initiated a traffic stop.
Schmidt was verbally abusive to the officer, according to the report, and argued that he couldn’t be speeding because he has a radar detector. He initially refused to step out of the vehicle and demanded the officer to call his supervisor.
The officer informed Schmidt that he was the on-duty supervisor for that time of day and opened the door and detained Schmidt by placing him in handcuffs. At that point, the officer reported smelling alcohol but Schmidt denied drinking. Schmidt then began calling the caucasian officer a “nigga” and was using other obscenities.
The officer then placed Schmidt into his patrol vehicle and began to ask the passengers, Ticer and Robinson, how much they had to drink that night and why Schmidt was driving so fast. Robinson allegedly said they only had a few beers and Ticer advised Schmidt was blowing off steam because he was angry with his girlfriend.
At that time, the officer noticed Schmidt had wrangled his handcuffs to the front of his body and was banging on the patrol vehicle’s window and rocking the whole vehicle. When the officer opened the door to stop, Schmidt allegedly yelled at Ticer to not “say (expletive deleted) and (expletive deleted) them niggas.” Schmidt then allegedly told the officer he moved the handcuffs to the front “because nigga I ain’t being detained.”
The officer then took Schmidt out of the car, placed him on the ground and put him in a hobble restraint. Schmidt was then taken to the Safford Police Department for DUI processing while another officer stayed at the scene and dealt with the passengers.
Ticer blew a .046 breath/alcohol concentration on a portable breath test and Robinson blew a .103. Both were given citations for underage with alcohol in body and were given rides home. A tow truck removed the car from the road.
Schmidt blew a .058 and continued to harass the officers as they attempted to go through the DUI process with him. Eventually, he submitted to a blood draw, which was sent to a lab for processing and analysis.
Schmidt was then given citations for criminal speed and underage DUI and was released to his mother.
