A Schuylkill County man pulled over for DUI told police he was “just trying to make a living doing DoorDash.” Later that night, police say, he was back in handcuffs, stumbling down the street with a large knife on his hip.
Jammy Lawson, 55, of Tamaqua, is charged by police with driving under the influence, along with summary counts of driving with a suspended license and driving without a license. In a separate case stemming from his second arrest on Sept. 21, he faces a misdemeanor count and a summary count of disorderly conduct, as well as a summary count of public drunkenness.
Police say an officer was monitoring traffic near Mauch Chunk and Greenwood streets around 6 p.m. when he saw a white Dodge station wagon heading south on Greenwood St. with a registration that had expired at the end of August.
When the vehicle stopped at a stop sign, the officer recognized the driver as Lawson, who he knew had a suspended license. The suspension was confirmed through a records check, and the officer pulled the vehicle over.
Police say Lawson had slurred speech, glassy, bloodshot eyes, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his person. He handed the officer an expired Pennsylvania identification card.
Lawson made the DoorDash remark when the officer told him why he was being stopped, according to police. He told the officer he could just drive down to his house a block away, but the officer told him he could not because his license was suspended.
Lawson said “no” when asked whether he had been drinking that day, police say. He agreed to field sobriety tests and told the officer he had one beer that morning and smokes marijuana. He said he had back problems but would be able to do the tests.
After three tests, Lawson was handcuffed and taken to St. Luke’s Miners Hospital in Coaldale, where he agreed to a blood test, police say. A nurse drew his blood around 6:30 p.m., and the sample was secured as evidence to be sent to a lab for testing.
Lawson was then released and taken back to his home, according to police.
Around 8 p.m., a neighbor called Tamaqua police to report Lawson was outside walking back and forth, looking toward neighbors’ houses while yelling, screaming and making random remarks, police say.
The caller told police Lawson walked back toward his house, and a short time later an air horn was set off multiple times. Lawson then came outside, looked around and went back in, before leaving again with a woman and walking past neighbors’ houses making comments.
Police say multiple officers had told Lawson several times over the past week to stop yelling, screaming, playing loud music, and waving a large knife around in the middle of the street. He refused to comply and was charged in those incidents, police say. After his release on the DUI arrest, he was again told to stop causing a disturbance in public.
When an officer arrived after getting the call from the concerned neighbor, Lawson was stumbling as he walked down the street with the woman, police say. The officer handcuffed him and noted slurred speech, glassy, bloodshot eyes and a very strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. A search turned up a large knife on his right hip, according to police.
Lawson was taken to the police station and held in a cell. He was released when he sobered up, police say.
Preliminary hearings in both cases are scheduled for Nov. 25 at District Court in Tamaqua.
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