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Police: Norwalk Man Driving Drunk With Machete Threatened Officer

NORWALK, Conn. -- A Norwalk man arrested on drunken driving charges had a machete in his car and later threatened to cut an officer's head off, according to police reports.

William Gaviria, 59, was charged with driving under the influence with a machete in his car.

William Gaviria, 59, was charged with driving under the influence with a machete in his car.

Photo Credit: Norwalk Police Department

William Gaviria, 59, was charged with having weapons in a motor vehicle, operation while under the influence, second-degree threatening, failure to carry registration/insurance ID card, and mutilated plate. He was held on $15,000 bond and will appear in court May 22.

Officers responded to Strawberry Hill Avenue and Fitch Street at 2 a.m. Thursday on a report of a car stopped in the middle of an intersection, police said. When officers arrived, they found Gaviria passed out in the car, which was stopped against the curb with the engine running and the car in drive, police said. He was leaning against the door and had a beer can in his cup holder, according to police.

Officers reached in and shut off the engine, police said. They spoke to Gaviria, who thought he was in Darien and asked, "Why are you bothering me, why aren't you out catching the bad guys? I'm not a bad guy, I'm a good guy," according to police reports.

When Gaviria got out of the car, he was confrontational with the officers, telling them that he had a pending lawsuit against the Norwalk Police Department, police said. He had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, police said.

Gaviria failed a field sobriety test and was arrested. 

While officers were searching his car, they found an 18-inch machete in a sheath next to the driver's seat, where it could be accessible to the driver, police said. They also found a 30-pack of Budweiser in the car, police said.

Back at headquarters, police said Gaviria told an officer, "If I don't get these handcuffs off, I'm gonna cut your head off (expletive)." He repeated the statement, and then told the officer he was joking, police said.

He also told officers he had been drinking from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and had "12 pops and one shot of tequila," according to police reports. His blood alcohol content was .125 and .126, police said.

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