Dalton man arrested for his 5th DUI after causing scene and attempting to fight Dalton firefighters

According to a Dalton Police Department incident report, On November 13th, 2022, at 4:20 PM, Officer Cook responded to the area of Beechland Place in reference to Dalton Fire requesting assistance. Officer Cook reported, “When [I] pulled onto Phoenix Pl [I] saw a white in color Honda turning onto the other end of Phoenix Pl heading my direction. When the firefighters saw me, they motioned to the white Honda, stating that he was the issue. The driver of the Honda, later found to be Justin Anselmo Lopez, 33, Dalton, quickly pulled next to the curb and parked when he saw my patrol car. By the time [I] realized that the firefighters were pointing to him, [I] was already beside the Honda, essentially blocking him in.” When he opened the door, it was immediately apparent that he was heavily intoxicated. He had badly slurred speech and poor coordination, even while seated. His eyes were glassy and bloodshot as well. When asked how much he had to drink, he became defensive, saying that he wasn’t driving. He finally admitted to only drinking a few beers. Officer Cook asked again how much he had to drink, and this time he started a six-pack. During field sobriety testing, Cook showed several signs of impairment and was taken into custody for DUI, where he refused the state test. Dalton Firefighters advised they noticed that Lopez was extremely drunk. He approached them on the fire scene, asking about what had happened. After speaking for a few minutes, they told him that he needed to leave. He told them that they weren’t going anywhere because they were public servants and they had to talk to him. They became more adamant that they needed to back out. Lopez refused to move from behind the fire engine. They told him that they would have to call the police if he didn’t move, and he responded that he would “Kick all of their asses”. They then called the police. Once Lopez heard the sirens, he ran for his car and attempted to leave before he was stopped by DPD. Lopez was charged with DUI – alcohol less safe and open container (state code). Officer Cook reported, “According to Spillman reports, this will be Lopez’s 5th DUI arrest within the city of Dalton since 2011.