TIVERTON RI- On 04/10/2025 at 11:23 p.m. the Tiverton Police Department received a call regarding an erratic driver in the area of Blackbird Ct. (Country View Estates). Officer Joseph Barek arrived on the scene and spoke to several witnesses. They informed Officer Barek that a Grey SUV with Massachusetts License plates had driven over several lawns and also knocked over a light post.
Officer Barek checked the surrounding neighborhoods and discovered a vehicle matching the description stopped at the intersection of Blackbird St. and Lark Ln. Officer Barek observed the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Brian Brown, age 35 of Raynham MA., unresponsive and slumped over the steering wheel. Officer Barek further observed that the vehicle was running, in drive, and the doors were locked. Brown had his foot on the brake. Officer Barek began to bang on the window and instructed Brown to put the car in park. After not responding to Officer Barek’s commands for several minutes, Brown raised his head and began to drive forward.
Brown’s vehicle nearly collided with Officer Barek’s parked patrol vehicle and continued to drive forward toward a house. Officer Barek chased the vehicle on foot, continually yelling commands for Brown to stop the vehicle. Brown’s vehicle had entered the front lawn of the house. Fearing Brown’s vehicle was going to collide with the house; Officer Barek broke the driver’s side window, reached into the vehicle, and put it in park. Officer Barek again gave commands for Brown to exit the vehicle. Brown instead put the vehicle in drive and began to move forward. Officer Barek again reached into the vehicle, placed it in park, and removed the keys from the ignition. Officer Barek forcibly removed Brown from the vehicle and placed him in handcuffs.
Multiple officers arrived at the scene to assist Officer Barek. While speaking with Brown, officers detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. Brown admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages earlier that evening. When questioned as to where he currently was, Brown stated that he was in Raynham MA. Officers also located several empty alcohol bottles in Brown’s vehicle.
Brown refused to conduct field sobriety tests. He later consented to a preliminary breath test, which provided a BAC of .211. Brown was placed under arrest and charged with DUI OF LIQUOR – BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION UNKNOWN. Brown was later transported to Newport Hospital for an unrelated medical condition. This incident remains under investigation, and additional charges are anticipated.
