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Watertown state rep. charged with drunken driving, police say
State Representative John J. Lawn was arrested Wednesday at 1:45 a.m. and charged with operating under the influence of liquor and leaving the scene of property damage.
A state lawmaker was charged with drunken driving early Wednesday morning, the Boston Police Department said.
Representative John J. Lawn, a Democrat from Watertown, was arrested near the State House at 1:45 a.m. and charged with operating under the influence of liquor and leaving the scene of property damage, according to a police report.
Lawn, 56, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in downtown Boston, The Boston Globe reported.
According to the police report, a bystander flagged down Officer Oscaury Rosario-Garcia to investigate a motor vehicle at Beacon Street and Bowdoin Street.
The bystander told police that he saw Lawn’s SUV hit a parked vehicle on Hancock Street and then followed Lawn’s car, which ran two stop signs, according to the report.
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When Rosario-Garcia approached the SUV, he identified Lawn and smelled a “strong odor” of alcohol and “observed that the suspect’s eyes were glassy and bloodshot,” according to the report.
When police asked him to take a breathalyzer, Lawn replied, “You know what I’d rather do, I want to take an Uber and go home,” according to WCVB.
Lawn also told the officers “I am a state rep,” according to WCVB, and said he was originally at an event at the State House.
Lawn was placed in handcuffs and taken to Nashua Street Jail, according to the police report, and required “assistance to maintain his balance.”
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The Massachusetts Republican Party said in a statement that Lawn’s arrest is an example of “Beacon Hill Democrats” attempting to “avoid punishment” by using their titles.
“By declaring himself a lawmaker at the time of his arrest, it’s clear Rep. Lawn sought to escape the consequences of his actions,” MassGOP Spokesman Mark Steffen said in a statement. “He should resign and offer the residents of Watertown the chance to elect a new representative who doesn’t ask officers to look the other way when he allegedly breaks the law.”
In a statement to media outlets, Lawn said he takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
“What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses. I am committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,” he said in the statement. “To my family, friends, and constituents, I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry.”
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