A Greene County deputy arrested a Greensboro man following an incident at the Publix store on Lake Oconee Parkway on the afternoon of July 17.
According to witnesses, Todd E. Lachenmyer, 66, entered Publix and approached the customer desk in the front of the store but began to stumble backward and fell close to the exit.
A witness helped Lachenmyer to his feet, and Publix store manager Paul Higgins approached and offered Lachenmyer a chair to sit down on. Lachenmyer didn’t want to sit down and insisted on leaving and going to his car. A witness said Lachenmyer got up but immediately started swaying and stumbling out into the parking lot.
The witness said he begged Lachenmyer not to drive and that he would help him.
According to reports, Lachenmyer agreed to sit in the customer’s van for a few minutes but soon wanted to return to his car.
The witness said Lachenmyer got out of the van and fell, hitting his head on the bumper of another car before he hit the ground. The witness picked up Lachenmyer’s car keys and gave them to Lt. Patrick Paquette, who arrived a few moments later.
According to Paquette’s account, he observed several people gathered around Lachenmyer, who was stumbling and struggling to keep his balance.
Paquette spoke with Lachenmyer and immediately smelled the overwhelming odor of alcohol coming from him, according to the report. Higgins told Paquette he first thought the man was ill and jumped in to help him, but then realized he appeared to be impaired.
Paquette told Lachenmyer to come sit in his patrol car, and he was assisted to the backseat of the patrol car.
Paquette noticed Lachenmyer’s glazed eyes and appeared confused, but he continued to demand he be allowed to get to his car.
Paquette asked Lachenmyer if he had driven to Publix, and he said he had. According to the report, he also confessed to having a few beers.
Paquette said Lachenmyer attempted to stand up several times, and the deputy had to catch him to keep him from falling. At length, Paquette determined Lachenmyer was under the influence of alcohol and attempted to place him under arrest, in part to gain control of him to prevent further injuries.
According to the report, Paquette was able to place a handcuff on Lachenmyer’s right wrist before he began resisting.
Paquette attempted for several minutes to gain compliance from Lachenmyer verbally, but he continued to physically resist.
After several minutes, Paquette was finally able to subdue Lachenmyer enough to put on the other handcuff.
However, Lachenmyer continued to resist Paquette’s commands to put his legs in the car, so the officer requested another unit be sent for assistance, according to the report.
Paquette was finally able to get Lachenmyer’s legs in the car but was unable to perform sobriety field evaluations due to Lachenmyer’s combative actions and level of intoxication.
Lachenmyer was charged with DUI and obstruction and turned over to his wife due to his injuries.
Paquette returned to the store the next day and reviewed surveillance footage that confirmed witness accounts of Lachenmyer entering the store and falling backward into a display of bottled water by the front doors.