Man charged with DUI, obstruction after threatening to fight officers

BEVERLY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – An impaired driver was arrested Saturday after being reported in Randolph County.

According to reports from the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday, September 3rd, 2022, Sr. Deputy A.B. Beverly responded to reports of a dark colored Dodge Ram bearing WV registration #B244453 stopped with its hazard lights on on the 5 lane facing northbound.

EMS, who had reported the driver, reported slurred speech when they spoke to him. Unit 791 reported that the driver then made a U-turn and headed south towards Beverly.

At 5:51am, Elkins PD Patrolman R.S. Goux located the vehicle on Main Street in Beverly. Goux reported the vehicle moving very slowly, braking excessively, and going left of center.

A traffic stop was conducted at Tygart Ministries parking lot, and contact was made with the driver, whose breath smelled strongly of alcohol, according to reports.

When asked if he had had anything to drink, the driver responded “Oh yeah, I have a mixed drink in this cup,” before presenting the cup.

When asked to exit the vehicle, the driver was unsteady on his feet, relying on the driver side door for balance.

Refusing to walk toward Patrolman Goux’s cruiser and pulling away once informed he was to be detained, the driver stated “I’m not walking back to your cruiser and I’m going to get in my truck and leave.”

The driver was then assisted to the ground by Goux and detained with hand restraints.

Sr. Deputy A.B. Beverly made contact with the driver once on the scene, and identified the driver as the suspect, Clifford Pennington.

The odor of alcohol on Pennington’s breath could be immediately recognized by deputies, and his speech was noticeably slurred. Pennington refused to partake in any field sobriety or breathalyzer testing.

Advising that he’d had too much to drink, Pennington responded “you don’t want to know” when asked how much specifically he’d had.

A firearm, along with a half-empty bottle of Jim Beam Bourbon was located in the vehicle.

The driver appeared to be confused as to where he had been operating his vehicle, at one point positing, “I was headed up Chenoweth Creek Right?,” referring to Chenoweth Creek Rd. in Elkins, despite having been operating his vehicle in a different municipality entirely.

Officers were hindered on multiple occasions by the driver when he refused to exit and enter patrol vehicles, as well as making threats to fight law enforcement.

Mr. Pennington was transported to Tygart Valley Regional Jail.