Man arrested for DUI at Navy gate

A 42-year-old Key West man was arrested for drunken driving after attempting to gain entry to U.S. Naval Air Station Key West property via the Boca Chica Field Saturday morning.

James Robert House was charged with DUI of .20 or higher, possession of prescription pills without a prescription and resisting arrest without violence.

Lower Keys Sgt. Evan Calhoun responded to the Navy security gate at approximately 7 a.m. after Navy security officials contacted the Sheriff’s Office regarding a possible impaired driver. Sgt. Calhoun arrived to find the driver, later identified as House, still behind the wheel of a running Toyota pickup truck at the gate. House was actively drinking from a Corona® beer bottle in front of Navy security guards. Navy security informed Sgt. Calhoun that House was a Navy firefighter and was attempting to report for a work shift.  House was in uniform and showed Sgt. Calhoun his badge.

Sgt. Calhoun detected a strong odor of alcohol in the truck. House had red, watery eyes, slurred speech and behaving erratically with mood swings — screaming and swearing to crying and banging his head.

Sgt. Calhoun attempted to hold up James as he leaned against the patrol car, but began pulling away and started resisting. Navy security helped Sgt. Calhoun get House in handcuffs.

Several pill bottles with the labels scratched off containing a small amount of pills inside were found in the truck.

House was taken to jail where his blood alcohol level was recorded at .254. The legal limit in Florida is .08.

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