A Bedford man was charged Oct. 26 with five criminal counts in Brown County related to an incident that occurred June 29.
Jeremy L. Giddens, 39, was stopped at Knight’s Corner at about 7 a.m. Monroe County had been looking for a possible intoxicated driver, matching the description of his vehicle. He was driving a dark-colored SUV, pulling a white travel trailer.
When Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Williams activated his lights to make the stop, Giddens signaled left, crossed the center line into the oncoming lane, drove over a curb and pulled into the parking lot. Williams asked him to show his license, registration and insurance and Giddens became distracted multiple times and had to be reminded to look for the documents, the officer’s report said.
Brown County Dispatch reported that Giddens’ license had expired in 2010 and that he’d been convicted twice for driving without insurance since 2011. Also, the temporary license plate on the trailer matched a Dodge Charger instead, police said.
Before he underwent field sobriety tests, Giddens told the officers he had epilepsy, a broken spine and two broken legs, police said. He attempted the tests but stopped and told officers he would fall and injure himself. He asked officers for his epilepsy medicine. When an officer gave it to him, he “collapsed on the ground and began flailing his arms, but was conscious and alert,” the police report said.
An ambulance was called to check on Giddens; he told EMTs that he had cancer and diabetes. They were unable to find anything wrong with him, but he asked to be taken to the hospital in Bloomington. During this conversation, Giddens threatened to punch two deputies in the mouth when they tried to take a lighter out of his hand, the report said.
He was taken to the hospital by ambulance. He was not taken back to the jail “due to the medical risk he presented by having multiple ‘seizures,’” Williams’ report said. His SUV and trailer were towed and inventoried.
Giddens was charged with three alcohol-related misdemeanors, as well intimidation and disorderly conduct, also misdemeanors.
