Man appears in court after allegedly lying in middle of busy road, slapping an officer and drinking in park
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IDAHO FALLS – A local man appeared in court Tuesday after being charged with felony battery of a law enforcement officer.
Sterling McGuire, 39, made an initial appearance after being arrested in June.
According to court records, Idaho Falls Police responded to a report that a man was causing a disturbance on Elm and Water Avenue in Idaho Falls on June 2. The man was reportedly running into traffic and hitting vehicles.
When officers arrived, they saw a man lying down in the middle of the road, who they later determined to be McGuire. Officers say McGuire was “moving and appeared to be rambling.” When officers tried to speak with him, he refused to identify himself and “kept rambling.”
Another officer arrived, and the two officers convinced McGuire to get up and move to the sidewalk. While walking to the sidewalk, McGuire “became confrontational” and slapped an officer’s left hand. Officers then placed him in handcuffs and took him to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for a jail clearance. McGuire was unable to be booked into the Bonneville County Jail due to a high fever and high heart rate.
A few days later, on July 7, officers responded to a report that there was a man in an Idaho Falls City park who appeared to be drunk. The report said that he was “sitting in a chair eating his food and kept nodding off and staring into space.” The report also says that the man had an odor of an alcoholic beverage, and there was an alcoholic drink on the ground next to him.
Officers identified the man as McGuire. He was arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of having an alcoholic beverage in a public park.
On Monday, while in jail, McGuire was issued a warrant for his arrest on the charge of felony battery on a law enforcement officer, and his bond was set for $10,000. He was arraigned that same day and pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge.
McGuire appeared in court on Tuesday for his initial appearance on the felony charge.
Though McGuire has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
A preliminary hearing is set for July 26. If convicted, McGuire could spend up to five years in prison.