Crime & Safety

Man Tells Cop: You'd "Know It" If I Was Trying To Flee From You

Caledonia Police say man was driving his Corvette at about 90 mph when they caught up with him on North Green Bay Road, but he didn't agree with the officer's assessment.

To the cop, it sure looked like this guy was fleeing, but that's not what he told police when they caught up to him, according to the criminal complaint.

Forrest L. Peters III, 30, of Racine, was charged in Racine County Circuit Court Monday with failing to obey a traffic signal, his second drunken driving offense, and two counts of felony bail jumping. If convicted, he faces up to 13 years imprisonment and $31,100 in fines. 

A Caledonia police officer was parked at St. Monica’s Assisted Living at 2:53 a.m. Sunday, when he saw a Corvette headed north on Green Bay Road, and watched as it tried to pass a car while going 90 mph in a 35 mph speed zone. The car, later determined to be driven by Peters, stopped at the stop sign at 3 Mile Road as the officer came up behind him. Peters then began to drive north again.

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Speeding up to 40 miles per hour, the officer said in the complaint, Peters turned left on Kennedy Drive and he pulled over in the 4300 block. 

The officer jumped out of his squad car, and ordered Peters out of his car and to shut it off, which he did. Peters smelled of alcohol, the officer reported,  and said he had a suspended drivers license. Police discovered it was the 11th time he had been stopped for driving with a suspended license.

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The officer told Peters he was under arrest for fleeing, but he denied the charge, saying he was driving a Corvette and if he were fleeing, the officer would know it. 

Peters was taken to the St. Monica’s parking lot to perform field sobriety tests, but he said he would refuse to do them. Once in the parking lot, he first refused to get out of the squad to perform the tests, but eventually came out with some struggle, then refused to take the tests.

The officer took Peters to the hospital for a blood test, where he asked for a lawyer. He initially refused to consent to the blood test, but said he wouldn’t physically resist. The officer told him he would be allowed to talk to a lawyer after the test.

Peters is currently being held in Racine County Jail on $3,000 bond.


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