Tallahassee, FL (AP)
A Florida man was arrested for governing while intoxicated (GWI) today in the state capitol. The man, identified by local police as Governor Ron Di Santis, was partially nude and hurling obscenities at lawmakers while driving recklessly near endangered wildlife.
The incident started when 911 dispatchers started receiving calls about a disturbance at the state Capitol building. Witnesses said Di Santis, 41, drove the gubernatorial golf cart through some potted plants to the Speaker's podium, and then started yelling, "you don't need to stay home! Go out and eat some f-ing fried grouper, you lazy f---s!" When the Florida Senate Master-at-Arms tried to drag the governor out of his cart, Di Santis threw a half-empty can of Iron City at the Master-at-Arms and drove the cart in reverse, knocking over the tank containing the Senate's mascot, Thelma the Manatee. The cart got stuck on the Capitol steps after tearing off the front doors to the building.
Di Santis then tried to flee by foot, but was tackled by security personnel, who wrestled him to the ground and dragged him to a waiting van that is specially equipped to transport unruly elected officials. He was charged with GWI (FPC 22154.2), Assault on a Manatee (FPC 22154.3) and abuse of a golf cart (FPC 1.1), which carries a maximum penalty of 99 years in prison. Bond has been set at $400.
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| Capitol Police examining wrecked Gubernatorial Golf Cart |
The incident started when 911 dispatchers started receiving calls about a disturbance at the state Capitol building. Witnesses said Di Santis, 41, drove the gubernatorial golf cart through some potted plants to the Speaker's podium, and then started yelling, "you don't need to stay home! Go out and eat some f-ing fried grouper, you lazy f---s!" When the Florida Senate Master-at-Arms tried to drag the governor out of his cart, Di Santis threw a half-empty can of Iron City at the Master-at-Arms and drove the cart in reverse, knocking over the tank containing the Senate's mascot, Thelma the Manatee. The cart got stuck on the Capitol steps after tearing off the front doors to the building.
Di Santis then tried to flee by foot, but was tackled by security personnel, who wrestled him to the ground and dragged him to a waiting van that is specially equipped to transport unruly elected officials. He was charged with GWI (FPC 22154.2), Assault on a Manatee (FPC 22154.3) and abuse of a golf cart (FPC 1.1), which carries a maximum penalty of 99 years in prison. Bond has been set at $400.
