Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,164
- Reaction score
- 5
Man who faked being deaf arrested for drunken driving
The man behind the wheel of a pickup pulled over early Monday morning on suspicion of drunken driving indicated that he was deaf and requested an interpreter.
But when Officer Chris Denton used sign language to ask the driver for his license, he didn't appear to understand. So Denton asked him to read his lips and he asked again. This time the man said he didn't have a license, according to the report. Apparently, when the man was initially pulled over by another officer, the driver was provided with a piece of paper so he could communicate.
Shortly after the truck was stopped at U.S. 19 and Trouble Creek Road, Denton arrived to help with the DUI stop. At first the man said he was Richard T. O' Callaghan. Then he said he was Richard J. O' Callaghan. It turns out his name is Christopher Michael O' Callaghan.
At some point, according to his arrest affidavit, O' Callaghan, 32, started speaking and admitted he had been lying and gave officers his real name and said he wasn't deaf.
He denied drinking alcohol, even though officers said they could smell it on him, but admitted to smoking marijuana earlier. O' Callaghan, according to the affidavit, refused to perform field sobriety tests and declined to submit to a breath test.
On the way to the Land O' Lakes Jail, O' Callaghan apparently was quite chatty with Denton, saying, "You guys were persistent. I usually play the deaf card and get away with it…. I knew I was screwed once you asked me for my Social Security number.
He was booked into the jail on charges of DUI, driving while license suspended or revoked with knowledge, providing false identification to law enforcement and contempt of court, stemming from a previous arrest order. Because of the contempt charge, O' Callaghan, of 13152 Coronado Drive, Spring Hill, is being held without bail.
Lt. Steve Kostas said that Denton learned sign language on his own and that it happened to come in handy on this stop. He said he's seen people pretend they don't speak English, but this is the first he's heard of someone faking a disability.
The man behind the wheel of a pickup pulled over early Monday morning on suspicion of drunken driving indicated that he was deaf and requested an interpreter.
But when Officer Chris Denton used sign language to ask the driver for his license, he didn't appear to understand. So Denton asked him to read his lips and he asked again. This time the man said he didn't have a license, according to the report. Apparently, when the man was initially pulled over by another officer, the driver was provided with a piece of paper so he could communicate.
Shortly after the truck was stopped at U.S. 19 and Trouble Creek Road, Denton arrived to help with the DUI stop. At first the man said he was Richard T. O' Callaghan. Then he said he was Richard J. O' Callaghan. It turns out his name is Christopher Michael O' Callaghan.
At some point, according to his arrest affidavit, O' Callaghan, 32, started speaking and admitted he had been lying and gave officers his real name and said he wasn't deaf.
He denied drinking alcohol, even though officers said they could smell it on him, but admitted to smoking marijuana earlier. O' Callaghan, according to the affidavit, refused to perform field sobriety tests and declined to submit to a breath test.
On the way to the Land O' Lakes Jail, O' Callaghan apparently was quite chatty with Denton, saying, "You guys were persistent. I usually play the deaf card and get away with it…. I knew I was screwed once you asked me for my Social Security number.
He was booked into the jail on charges of DUI, driving while license suspended or revoked with knowledge, providing false identification to law enforcement and contempt of court, stemming from a previous arrest order. Because of the contempt charge, O' Callaghan, of 13152 Coronado Drive, Spring Hill, is being held without bail.
Lt. Steve Kostas said that Denton learned sign language on his own and that it happened to come in handy on this stop. He said he's seen people pretend they don't speak English, but this is the first he's heard of someone faking a disability.
funny!
