Crime & Safety

Darien Police Charge Monroe Man with DUI, Having Cocaine

Darien police say they found cocaine on the hands of a man they just arrested on a charge of driving while under the influence.

It was about 4:54 a.m. last Sunday when a Darien police officer saw a van parked by the side of Tokeneke Road with its lights on and the engine still running, according to a police report.

Inside the 2004 Ford Free Star, the man behind the wheel was asleep, so the officer woke him up, then smelled a strong odor of alcohol, police said.

Darien police gave this further account of the matter:

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The man behind the wheel— Douglas Barnett, 48, of Monroe— failed field sobriety tests and wasn't driving with registration or car insurance. He was arrested and put in the back of a patrol car to be taken to the police station.

When Barnett was removed from the patrol car, police noticed that there was a white powder on his hands and on the seat where he'd been sitting during the ride. Along with the powder, police also found paper fragments. Tests identified the powder as cocaine

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Barnett, of Surry Lane in Monroe, was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of cocaine, tampering with evidence, interfering with an officer, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and failure to insure motor vehicle.

He posted a $7,500.00 bond and is scheduled to appear March 13 in state Superior Court in Stamford.


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