A Republican lawmaker in Mississippi was arrested Friday in DeSoto County, according to jail records.
State Rep. Jeff Hale was pulled over around 9:50 p.m. by the Hernando Police Department for alleged speeding. He was then taken into custody and booked in the DeSoto County Jail on additional charges of driving under the influence, reckless driving, and disorderly conduct/failure to comply with law enforcement.
Records note it is Hale’s first DUI charge but do not disclose whether law enforcement believes alcohol or other substances were involved. The Hernando Police Department has not issued a public statement on the matter.
Hale, on the other hand, is denying being under the influence and told The DeSoto Times-Tribune that he was responding to a family emergency when he was pulled over. The former firefighter said he “reacted as the first responder I had been for more than 20 years” after learning his granddaughter was unconscious and being taken to the hospital.
“[Police] encountered a terrified grandfather whose only concern was reaching the hospital as quickly as possible,” he said. “I want to be absolutely clear that no alcohol or illegal substances were involved at any point during my day or evening.”
Hale added the reason police believed he was under the influence was due to his distraught demeanor during a stressful time and his refusal to submit further testing.
He was released after midnight on a $1,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Hernando Municipal Court on Aug. 26 at 1 p.m.
Hale was first elected in 2016 to represent District 24, which covers part of DeSoto County. Apart from his elected position, he works in sales and previously worked as a lieutenant with the Southaven Fire Department and chief of the New Albany Fire Department.
