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State v. Stilley

The arresting officer had probable cause to stop defendant's vehicle based on defendant's refusal to stop after the officer initiated his blue lights and siren.

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Stiles Dean Stilley, who was charged with driving under the influence,1 moved to suppress evidence obtained during a traffic stop. Finding that the police officer who stopped Stilley lacked articulable suspicion for the stop, the trial court granted the motion. The State appeals and, for reasons that follow, we reverse. In reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress, we defer to the trial court’s factual findings unless such are clearly erroneous.2 In this case, the facts are largely undisputed, and we review the application of the law to the facts de novo.3

The record shows that on March 22, 2001, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Officer D. L. Williams received a dispatch that a male —later identified as Stilley was “slumped over the wheel at a red light.” The unknown person who called in the message to law enforcement also relayed that the male was in a pickup truck, gave the location of the truck, and provided the license plate number. Williams, who was “fairly close” to the location, drove to the intersection, looking for the pickup truck. When Williams found the truck, Stilley was properly driving down the road. Although Williams did not witness Stilley commit any traffic violations, he activated his blue lights and siren, signaling Stilley to stop. Rather than stopping, Stilley continued driving for approximately two to three miles before another officer assisted Williams in forcing Stilley to stop.

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