HAINES CITY (CBSMiami)- Police officers have to worry about people driving under the influence or boating under the influence, but now, they’ll have to look out for those lawn mowing under the influence. On May 5, one Florida man was charged with a DUI, or in this case an ‘LUI’, after he allegedly drove his lawn mower into a police car while drunk. According to Haines City police, an officer handling another incident inside of a local business in Haines City, in Central Florida, heard a loud noise from outside of the store. When the officer went outside, he found Gary Anderson, 68, behind the wheel of a lawn mower and near the officer’s parked police car, which had minor damages to the bumper. Haines City police said Anderson admitted to hitting the car and he told one officer at the scene, “F*** it, I’m drunk, take me to jail.” The police affidavit said Anderson’s behavior shifted from being angry to joking multiple times and he had bloodshot eyes. After he failed to complete any of the field sobriety tests, Anderson was arrested and charged for driving under the influence. Officers said Anderson agreed to take a breath test at the police department, but failed to provide an accurate sample because he tried to deceive the test. Anderson then began claiming police poisoned him and he was transported to a local hospital where he was able to complete the breath test. His blood-alcohol content came back at .241, three times the legal limit. They also found cocaine in Anderson’s system. Anderson was also charged with refusal to submit a DUI test with his license suspended. He remains in custody at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on a $3,000 bond. Police ran a criminal background check on Anderson and found his license had been suspended since 1978 and he was convicted of a DUI two other times as well. “I’m proud of the professional demeanor our officers showed when dealing with this heavily-intoxicated, belligerent offender,” said Haines City Chief of Police Jim Elensky. “It’s never a good idea to get behind the wheel drunk, even if that wheel is to a Craftsman, Massey Ferguson or John Deere.” Anderson’s lawn mower was towed.<doc-sep>HAINES CITY, Florida — A man, driving a riding lawnmower while drunk, getting arrested after crashing into a police car in a parking lot. Of course it involves a Florida man. The latest to add to the growing list of odd exploits in the Sunshine State: Gary Wayne Anderson, 68. According to WFLA Channel 17, a police officer was in a convenience store Saturday evening when he heard a loud noise in the parking lot. He walked outside to find Anderson on a riding lawnmower towing a black trailer with a cooler inside, the Tampa Bay Times reports. He had just crashed into the police cruiser. The crash only caused minor damage to a bumper, but police say Anderson, after initially laughing, became aggressive toward the officer. He was arrested and taken to the police department, where he then claimed he had been poisoned by officers. He was taken to a hospital, where blood tests found his alcohol level at 0.241, nearly three times above the legal limit, and also cocaine in his system, the Times reports. ABC Action News reports Anderson’s driver’s license has been suspended since 1978. He also has two prior DUI convictions. According to the Times, Anderson was being held in the Polk County Jail Monday on charges of DUI and refusing to submit to a DUI test with a suspended license. To comment on this story, visit Monday’s crime and courts comment section.<doc-sep>Florida authorities say they arrested an inebriated man on a lawnmower who slammed into a police officer’s parked, unoccupied cruiser. The alleged alcohol-fueled fender-bender in Haines City on Saturday evening caused minor damage to the cruiser's bumper and led to the arrest of Gary Anderson, 68, who police said had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit, according to reports. The officer was on a call when he heard a loud bang from inside a store, FOX13 Tampa reported. BARTENDER CHARGED WITH SERVING TEXAS MAN BEFORE 2017 RAMPAGE AT FOOTBALL WATCH PARTY THAT LEFT 8 DEAD Anderson allegedly told the officer he struck the cruiser but denied causing any damage. He also allegedly admitted being drunk. Anderson reportedly had a trailer with a large cooler attached to the lawn mower. “I’m proud of the professional demeanor our officers showed when dealing with this heavily-intoxicated, belligerent offender,” Haines City police Chief Jim Elensky said in a statement. “It’s never a good idea to get behind the wheel drunk, even if that wheel is to a Craftsman, Massey Ferguson or John Deere.” While in custody, Anderson was driven to a hospital after he accused officers -- reportedly using foul language and racial slurs -- of trying to poison him with cocaine, FOX13 reported. NEW HAMPSHIRE DUI SUSPECT DROVE FOR 15 MILES IN THE WRONG DIRECTION ON THE HIGHWAY: POLICE Police said there was cocaine in Anderson's system when he was arrested. The station reported Anderson allegedly told officers his driver’s license was suspended 41 years ago and he has never gotten it back. Anderson was charged with committing a third DUI offense in 10 years and refusing to submit to a DUI test. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP He was being held in lieu of $3,000 bail.<doc-sep>
When a Haines City police officer walked outside Saturday evening to find out see what had made the loud noise he just heard, police said he found Gary Anderson on top of a riding lawn mower in the parking lot. The officer said the 68-year-old Anderson then told him three things: He had just struck the officer's police cruiser. There was no damage to the police cruiser. Anderson was drunk. TALES OF THE SUNSHINE STATE: Florida Mayor: Drugs, guns and politics collided in the small town of Port Richey. Two mayors went to jail. Florida Bunny: Easter Bunny brawler is Pasco man and fugitive from New Jersey with violent past Florida Shoppers: They were standing at a Publix register when her purse fell. Her Derringer fired and hit him. The 68-year-old man then started laughing, police. Then he took a more aggressive posture toward the officer. Let's rewind: The incident took place about 7 p.m. while the Haines City police cruiser was parked outside Rodriguez Fashion Convenience Store at 1100 U.S. 17. The officer was inside, then went back out. There, police said, he found Anderson on a riding lawn mower towing a black trailer with a red-and-white cooler inside. The officer also saw damage to the police vehicle's bumper. Anderson was taken into custody and driven to the Haines City Police Department, the agency said, but then said he had been poisoned by officers. He asked to be taken to a hospital. So officers took him to Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center in Davenport. There, Anderson also agreed to a Breathalyzer exam. It revealed that his blood-alcohol level was 0.241, slightly more than three times the level at which Florida law presumes a driver is impaired. Police added that a blood test revealed cocaine in Anderson's system. Anderson, however, accused the police of putting cocaine in his system. Officers also learned that Anderson's driver's license had been suspended since the Carter Administration — March 1978, to be precise — and he also used racial slurs against officers. He has been convicted of DUI twice, police said. Anderson was arrested on charges of committing his third DUI offense in 10 years and refusing to submit to a DUI test with a suspended license. He was being held in the Polk County jail late Monday in lieu of $3,000 bail. "I'm proud of the professional demeanor our officers showed when dealing with this heavily-intoxicated, belligerent offender," Haines City police Chief Jim Elensky said in a statement. "It's never a good idea to get behind the wheel drunk, even if that wheel is to a Craftsman, Massey Ferguson or John Deere." Contact Daniel Figueroa IV at dfigueroa@tampabay.com. Follow @danuscripts.