Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office
Contributor
On the evening of Saturday, June 3, Deputy Pete Merola from the Patrol Division of the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office responded to a report about a drunk pedestrian on 157th Drive in O'Brien, near royal springs. Upon arriving in the area, Deputy Merola was directed to 198th Terrace, where he found Charlene Rae Verdier, a 76-year-old resident of O'Brien, Fla. Verdier was walking on the road and carrying personal belongings in one hand while holding an open can of Mike's Hard Lemonade in the other. As soon as Deputy Merola started talking to Verdier, he immediately noticed the smell of alcohol coming from her as she spoke, and she seemed to be intoxicated. Verdier mentioned she had been driving a golf cart earlier, but had decided to walk and admitted to being "drunk all the time." As the conversation continued, Verdier became more aggressive and confrontational.
Despite Deputy Merola's attempts to calm her down and explain the consequences, Verdier's agitation escalated, leading her to throw the can of Mike's Hard Lemonade on the ground. Due to her actions and lack of cooperation, Deputy Merola decided to arrest Verdier. However, she resisted while he was trying to place her in the patrol vehicle. Throughout the process, she screamed and expressed her anger towards him. The commotion continued until they arrived at the Suwannee County Jail, where Verdier was charged with disorderly intoxication.