Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press
·4 min read
A Lee County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit lieutenant faces charges after a colleague noted he was swerving in his lane, nearly striking other cars, driving faster than other traffic and stopped over a crosswalk line at a red light.
Christopher Tice, 42, faces DUI charges. He was arrested Sunday morning and released the same day on $500 bond. He is one of four Lee County sheriff's deputies arrested in the past two months.
According to his arrest affidavit, around 11:25 p.m. Saturday, Lee County sheriff's deputy Kevin Karsnick saw a blue Dodge Ram traveling north on Fowler Street at a higher speed "than the natural flow of traffic."
In his report, Karsnick noted he saw the same pickup swerve from the far right lane of travel into the center lane, nearly striking another vehicle. Karsnick said the other vehicle braked to avoid a collision.
When Tice's pickup came to a stop at a red light at the intersection of Fowler Street and North Airport Road, Karsnick wrote he saw the pickup had stopped a full car length past the marked crosswalk.
Karsnick conducted a traffic stop on his fellow sheriff's deputy near the intersection of Fowler Street and Colonial Boulevard.
Plea agreement in father's death: Alva man who shot father, put him in duct-taped freezer pleads no contest, gets 30 years
As Karsnick began speaking with Tice, he reported a "strong" odor of alcoholic beverage emanated from Tice's breath. Karsnick also reported Tice had glossy eyes and a slurred speech.
According to the report Karsnick asked Tice several times if he would be willing to participate in field sobriety exercises, which he repeatedly declined. Karsnick told Tice that his failure to perform field sobriety exercises "still makeshim subject to arrest" based on Karsnick's observations.
Tice again refused to perform field sobriety exercises before he was arrested, Karsnick noted.
Julie Martin, spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said in a statement that Tice was placed on administrative leave without pay until the criminal case concludes through the court system.
Martin said the sheriff's office will also open an internal affairs investigation.
"Sheriff Carmine Marceno takes any criminal allegation seriously, especially when it involves one of our own; and affirms no deputy is above the law," Martin's statement reads in part.
Tice joined the Lee County Sheriff's Office in November 2006. He is currently assigned to the Homicide Unit and has no prior disciplinary actions.
Court records indicate he was arrested for separate traffic infractions in 1995 and in 1999.
Tice is next due in court Sept. 9 for his arraignment on the DUI charge.
Fourth Lee County sheriff's deputy arrested in last two months
In addition to Tice, three others face charges.
Michael Soto, 37, faces one count of discharging a firearm in public from a vehicle within 1,000 feet from a person and one count of shooting into an unoccupied building. He was arrested Aug. 6 and released the following day on $100,000 bond.
According to his arrest 10-page affidavit, shortly before 2 a.m. June 30, the sheriff's office was alerted of an alarm that went off at Gold Forever Jewelry, 904 Lee Blvd., in Lehigh Acres. Through surveillance footage, the sheriff's office said authorities discovered he fired his weapon into the jewelry.
Bryon Haycook, 51, of Cape Coral, faces one count of transmission of material harmful to a minor. He was booked into the Lee County Jail on Thursday.
In May, the sheriff’s office received a cybertip about a man communicating online with a 17-year-old girl. The conversations contained explicit content and photos.
Haycook was arrested nearly a week afterTyrese Jackson, 37, who faces one count of scheme to defraud and two counts of official misconduct in a public agency. Jackson was booked into the Lee County Jail on July 28 and released the following day on $7,500 bond.
Court documents list nine victims throughout seven encounters with Jackson between Jan. 2 and Jan. 22. The 25-page report says Jackson targeted Hispanic motorists, "with little to no valid identification" and a language barrier.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter forthe Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter@TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram@tomasfrobeltranand Facebook@tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Lee sheriff's detective with 'glossy eyes' arrested for DUI
