HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia State Patrol has released its report about what led to the DUI arrest of a metro Atlanta sheriff last week.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch was arrested on Feb. 27 and booked into his own jail before bonding out a few hours later.
According to the GSP report, Couch was nearly three times the legal limit at 11:30 a.m. with a blood alcohol level of 0.212%. In Georgia, the legal alcohol limit is 0.08%
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After the sheriff was pulled over in his county-issued vehicle by his chief deputy, his office called GSP to investigate.
While talking to GSP investigators, the chief deputy reported that Couch was so unsteady on his feet that he wasn’t sure if the sheriff could walk to the investigator’s vehicle.
The chief deputy said that the sheriff had recently been at the hospital with a high BAC level, and a friend had told him not to be driving.
Couch told investigators that he had been drinking several Four Lokos since 6 a.m. that morning. Investigators also found two open cans of Bahama Mama that had spilled in his car.
He was arrested and charged with DUI, failure to maintain lane and open container.
It’s unclear if Couch will return to his position as sheriff.
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