 John Lee |
While conducting traffic enforcement on Friday, June 12, 2015, a St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff‘s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop on the driver of a pickup truck for speeding on I-10 East bound in Reserve. During the traffic stop, the driver identified himself as a law enforcement officer and presented a card issued from St. Bernard Parish Office of Homeland
Security. While talking to the driver, the deputy smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage and saw an open beer in the truck. Based on his observations and the poor results of an administered test, the deputy arrested the driver for D.W.I.
The driver told the deputy later that he was a retired law enforcement officer. The card that he had presented to the deputy during the investigation was issued by St. Bernard Parish and only identified him as a construction contractor who was allowed back in the parish after an evacuation. Throughout the D.W.I. investigation and booking process, the driver was belligerent toward the deputy, threatened him physically, and told the deputy that the deputy would lose his job.
The driver was identified as John Lee, 49, of Geismar, Louisiana. Lee was booked with D.W.I., operating a vehicle while under suspension for certain prior offenses, possession of alcoholic beverages in a motor vehicle, speeding, simple assault, public intimidation, false personation of a peace officer, and an outstanding bench warrant for St. John the Baptist Parish. He bonded out June 13 on a $59,500 bond.