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According to police reports, in the early morning hours of October 15, 2020 at approximately 1:25am, a Holdenville City police officer was sitting in the parking lot of Jazz’s restaurant watching traffic when a red, four-door Ford F-150, later found to belong to Willard “Bill” Freeman, turned off of Highway 270 onto Berton Street. According to the report, the officer observed the rear-end of the pickup truck peel out on the loose gravel, fishtail to the left, then hit the grass. Once gaining control, the driver, later found to be Bill Freeman, continued down Berton Street where the officer caught up to him at the corner of Berton and Butts Streets. The report states that the officer initiated his overhead emergency lights, but Mr. Freeman did not stop and continued down Berton, ran the next stop sign at the intersection of Berton and Warren streets, where he turned and pulled into the driveway of what was later determined to be his residence. The report goes on to explain that Mr. Freeman got out of his truck and approached the officer near his patrol car. While the officer was explaining to Mr. Freeman why he had stopped him, he smelled an odor of alcohol on Mr. Freeman’s breath and his person. The officer reports that he also noticed Mr. Freeman’s eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred. According to the police report, after another Holdenville officer arrived on the scene, the officers radioed central dispatch to request a Hughes County Sheriff’s Deputy to come conduct the Oklahoma Standard Field Sobriety Test. While the deputy was in route to the scene, the Holdenville police officer explained to Mr. Freeman that he suspected he had been drinking and again began to explain to him why he had pulled him over. The report states that Mr. Freeman attempted to walk away from the officer and as he did, stumbled to his left. The officer put his hand on Mr. Freeman’s left shoulder to steady him and keep him from falling. The police report states that at approximately 1:42am, a Hughes County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived on the scene to conduct the Oklahoma Standard Field Sobriety Test. Upon trying to administer the test, Mr. Freeman told the deputy, “I plead the fifth.” After refusing to take the Oklahoma SFS (breath) Test, Mr. Freeman was ordered to place his hands behind his back. After a brief struggle, Mr. Freeman was taken into to custody and booked in the Hughes County jail. According to the Holdenville police report, Mr. Freeman was initially charged with Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or intoxicating substances, second offense within 10 years, Version One and Two.
