Suspects kicked officers, refused sobriety tests, hurled abuse

Courts impose suspended prison terms and fines

A police officer conducts a drunk-driving checkpoint. This image is unrelated to the article. [Yonhap]
A police officer conducts a drunk-driving checkpoint. This image is unrelated to the article. [Yonhap]

Several people who assaulted police officers or obstructed their duties while intoxicated — including one who kicked an officer in the face and another who refused a breath test — have received suspended prison sentences and fines in a series of rulings.

Judge Jeong Jong-geon of the Chuncheon District Court's Criminal Division 1 sentenced a 59-year-old man, identified only as A, to six months in prison, suspended for one year, on charges of obstructing a public official in the performance of duties, according to Yonhap.

A had been lying drunk on a street in Suwon's Yeongtong-gu around midnight on May 16 when an officer from a local police unit, responding to a report, tried to rouse him by shaking his leg. A reacted with anger and kicked the officer in the face.

The court also sentenced a 56-year-old man, identified as B, to one year and four months in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of refusing a breath test.

On the morning of Feb. 20, B was in a hot-spring parking lot in Chuncheon when officers responding to a traffic accident report asked him to take a breath test. He refused, saying, "I just came out of the hot spring — why should I comply?"

B smelled of alcohol, slurred his words and staggered as he walked, yet refused to submit to the test for 25 minutes.

A man in his 20s who hurled abuse at officers and caused a disturbance after being caught driving drunk was also punished.

The court fined C, 27, a total of 10 million won ($7,360) on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act and obstruction of official duties.

C was caught driving about 2 meters in an apartment parking lot in Hongcheon-gun on the night of May 20 with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.160 percent.

He then blocked officers who were trying to leave after completing the sobriety check, shouted expletives at them asking where they thought they were going, and shoved one in the chest.

The court said it took into account as a mitigating factor that all the defendants admitted to their offenses, but added that it set the sentences after considering the gravity of crimes that showed disregard for public authority and interfered with the lawful exercise of official duties.


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