At 9:30 A.M. the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a clerk at a local convenience store who reported that a customer in the store appeared to be very intoxicated. The clerk provided the registration plate number of the van the customer had arrived in. The clerk reported that the customer purchased more alcohol, left the store, and drove to another nearby convenience store within sight of the first store.
Sheriff’s Deputies and Officers from the Eau Claire Police Department who were nearby responded to the store. They located the offender, Douglas Van Buskirk. Van Buskirk refused to submit to field sobriety tests or a preliminary breath test. After conducting an initial investigation, deputies arrested him for Operating While Intoxicated.
Van Buskirk has 9 prior convictions for driving while intoxicated and is currently on probation for driving while intoxicated. His vehicle was not equipped with an ignition interlock device as required.
