December 24 – Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin refused to perform a field sobriety test after he was stopped for traffic violations at 1:12 a.m. on December 18.
Cruiser and body camera footage obtained by the Springfield News-Sun shows Melvin’s pickup truck weaving across marked lanes and stopping at a green light for about 10 seconds before entering the intersection and being stopped by a Urbana police officer whose cruiser was parked. behind him.
An officer noticed that the vomit on the side of Melvin’s truck and Melvin himself smelled of alcohol.
“You were kind of on the other side of the road there. And you were stopped at a green light,” the officer said. “I smell an alcoholic beverage and there is currently vomit on the side of the vehicle.”
The outgoing sheriff was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He was released on his own recognizance, on the condition that he not drive. His next hearing is scheduled for January 31 at 10 a.m
During the stop, Melvin presented the officer with his driver’s license and a law enforcement card identifying him as the sheriff of Champaign County.
Urbana police Sgt. Shawn Schmidt then arrived at the stop and asked if the driver was Melvin before having the officer ask the sheriff to exit his truck for a field sobriety test. Once he left, Melvin seemed off balance and disoriented.
Melvin commented several times, “Really?” in response to commands. He also said sarcastically, “You guys are awesome.”
The sergeant at one point told Melvin that he was doing his job.
At one point, Schmidt asked Melvin to walk to an area that was flatter for a field sobriety test. Melvin began to comply before saying “no” and trying to walk back to his truck. The sergeant stopped Melvin at that point.
‘You stay here. Stop right there,” the sergeant said. ‘Do you have a gun with you? Don’t be like that. Sheriff, don’t do that.’
Melvin then asked to make a call, to which Schmidt agreed. When Melvin received no answer on the phone, the sergeant attempted to initiate the field sobriety tests before asking the sheriff several times if he refused to perform the tests.
Melvin told Schmidt he wanted to go home and the sergeant said the officers first had to make sure it was safe for him to drive.
“We’ll do this test on you first to make sure you can drive well, man,” the sergeant told Melvin. “There’s a strong smell of alcohol, you can’t drive properly and there’s vomit down the side of your car.”
Melvin told Schmidt that there was no vomit on the side of his car, to which the sergeant said, “There is.”
The sergeant told Melvin several times that if he did not perform the test, he would be arrested for OVI. After confirming his refusal, police arrested Melvin and placed him in the back of a cruiser.
At the police station, Melvin refused a breath test and fingerprinting.
Melvin’s term as sheriff is about to end. In March 2024, he lost the Republican primary for sheriff to Chad Burroughs, who was subsequently elected in November. Burroughs will take office next month.
