Hunter
02/22/21
An Oregon man was taken into custody after allegedly stealing a running car while drunk and taking it to a house where he thought a poker game was taking place.
Police say the incident occurred just before 9:30 pm Sunday, when 29-year-old Brandt Leeds of Portland stole a vehicle that was parked and running outside of Bo James on Washington Street. About 20 minutes later, a call came in about a suspicious male ringing a doorbell near Iowa City High School. Arriving officers came up on Leeds in a driveway. He allegedly smelled of ingested alcohol, had bloodshot watery eyes, thick slurred speech, and uneasy balance.
While officers were talking with Leeds, he reportedly used the key fob to lock the stolen vehicle nearby. After given Miranda rights, he allegedly admitted to taking the wrong car and trying to find a house where he believed a poker game was going on.
Leeds reportedly refused to cooperate with officers who arrested him, stating that he would have to be forced to go with them. He allegedly refused to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed, and had to be forcefully put into the patrol car. Leeds refused chemical testing.
He’s been charged with OWI First Offense, Operating a Vehicle without Owner’s Consent, Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts. If convicted, he faces over three years in prison.