Hunter
08/23/22
An Iowa City man faces multiple charges after being stopped by police early Sunday, including his third OWI.
A little after 2 am, officers observed 38-year-old Bryant Welch of 2nd Avenue peel out of the L&M Mighty Shop parking lot, heading eastbound on Burlington Street without his headlights on. Officers stopped Welch at Summit and Court Streets, and ordered him out of his 2006 Chevrolet hatchback. He allegedly showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot watery eyes, slurred speech, poor balance and a strong odor of ingested alcohol. An open container of alcohol was reportedly found in his car.
A check of Welch’s driving record showed his driving status as barred and suspended. He also had two OWIs, one from 2016 and one conviction from February of this year.
While trying to put Welch into handcuffs, he allegedly continued to not listen to officer commands, and tensed his arms while attempting to pull away from them. Welch also reportedly attempted to reach for an item in his waistband before being handcuffed. He also was accused of refusing to sign the citations to appear on the court date given or pay the mentioned fine prior to his court date.
Welch was charged with OWI third offense, Driving while Barred, Driving while Revoked, Interference with Official Acts, and Harassment of a Public Official. If convicted on all charges, Welch could be sentenced to over 8 years in prison.