Police arrested a recent Cal Poly graduate for allegedly attempting to run a bicycle officer down with his car on March 17, police said.
24-year-old Brian Lima, who graduated from Cal Poly in December, was taken into custody after allegedly evading two bicycle officers, said Lt. Keith Storton of the San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD).
The officers noticed Lima spinning his tires at the intersection of Dana and Nipomo streets and approached him, Storton said. Lima then drove down Dana Street before driving back up toward one of the officers, almost hitting him, Storton said.
“He actually veered his vehicle toward one of the officers where the officer had to get out of the way,” Storton said.
The officers then put out an alert with the description of Lima’s vehicle, and he was later arrested.
Lima has been booked at San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, refusal to obey a peace officer, reckless driving and driving under the influence (DUI). His bail is set at $50,000.
Lima could face prison time if convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, Storton said.
“It’s a felony — It’s a serious felony,” Storton said. “It could be prison time.”
Lima’s arrest was a huge misunderstanding, though, said a member of Lima’s family who wished to remain anonymous. Lima was out celebrating several job offers and St. Patrick’s Day, but did not try to hit the officer, the source said.
“It was a complete misunderstanding and he wasn’t trying to hit the officer,” Lima’s family member said. “He swerved to avoid him.”
Lima’s family is now talking to a lawyer to help tell his side of the story, the source said.
“The news has already massacred him,” the source said.
Lima’s DUI was one of three on Saturday, St. Patrick’s Day. Twenty people were arrested for being drunk in public, Storton said, which is about double an average weekend.
“We definitely have a fairly significant problem with drunk in publics, especially in our area,” Storton said.
I went to high school with him, he’s a good guy! he would never maliciously hurt anyone! It’s disgusting how the media is talking about him. This whole thing is a huge misunderstanding. He’s a good person.
What’s the misunderstanding?
Did he not get behind the wheel of a car while drunk?
WOW the big big big misunderstanding is whether or not he tried to run-over a police officer, which is obviously a much more grave crime than a DUI.
Why is this on the school newspaper? This isn’t relevant to Cal Poly at all, save that he was a Cal Poly grad.
You seem to have answered your own question quite well.
Why if we know what the media is really like do we judge them before they go to court . .
–It should be outlawed to print before the facts are straight.
Storton says we have a problem with Drunk In Publics….I think we have more of a problem with the SLOPD arresting people who know they are too inebriated to drive and try to walk home instead. What is the logical decision for people when they get arrested for driving and arrested for walking? Obviously people are not going to stop drinking. Good one, SLOPD, just another way to generate revenue for your over-inflated salaries.
Where the hell did this come from? They arrest a guy for a DUI and you complain about people being arrested for walking home?
I also went to high school with him he is an idiot that drives drunk all the time it’s a wonder he hasn’t killed anyone yet considering its his second DUI it’s ok though we have lots of friends from king city already in jail to keep him company