Dash cam video shows Lorain Councilman Dennis Flores performing sobriety test before OVI arrest

LORAIN, Ohio - Dash cam video released Friday shows a Lorain councilman performing a sobriety test in front of a police cruiser before he was arrested on drunken driving charges.

Officers were called to West 18th Street near Washington Avenue in Lorain at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. They received a report of a suspected drunk driver.

When they arrived, officers said Councilman Dennis Flores’ van was stuck in lawn and was partially in the road. The video shows the van in front of a police cruiser with its headlights still on.

Flores, 58, told police he was trying to pull into his driveway when the van became stuck, but officers said that was not his driveway.

For the sobriety test, the officer asked Flores to lift up a foot of his choice six inches and count upward. The video shows Flores lifting his right foot for about two seconds before he lost his balance. The officer had him try again, and he got to four seconds before completely losing his balance and falling over. The officer rushed over to catch him.

Flores, who referred to himself as “the people’s councilperson” in his biography on the city council’s website , was arrested and taken to the police station. There, police said he refused to take a breath test.

He was charged with failure to control, driving under suspension and driving while intoxicated. He pleaded not guilty to those charges, according to court records.