A Fife city councilman has been charged with drunken driving after he was arrested early Sunday in the city.
Robert Dean Cerqui, who was re-elected earlier this year, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one count of driving under the influence. Cerqui, 38, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.
A trooper stopped Cerqui shortly after 12:45 a.m. Sunday near Sixth Avenue and North Fife Street after noticing he was not wearing a seat belt, according to the Washington State Patrol and charging documents.
Cerqui pulled over and stopped but blocked a lane of travel, charging documents state.
“Upon contact, the trooper smelled an obvious odor of intoxicants,” charging documents state.
Cerqui’s eyes were bloodshot and watery, his speech was slurred and his movements were slow and uncoordinated, according to the documents.
Cerqui initially denied drinking, then later said he’d been drinking at a party, charging documents state. When the trooper ordered Cerqui out of the car, he reportedly said, “I’m on the Fife City Council.” The trooper ordered the councilman out of his car three times before he complied, charging documents state.
Cerqui refused to do the voluntary field sobriety test and to give a breath sample.
The trooper found a receipt from a bar on Cerqui. On the way to the jail, Cerqui asked the trooper several times to let him go, charging documents state.
Cerqui has been a member of the City Council since 2004 and is the mayor pro tem.
Mayor Barry Johnson said Tuesday that he had not heard about Cerqui’s arrest and had no comment; City Manager Dave Zabell declined to comment, saying the matter did not involve city business.
Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268
stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
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