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4 Steamboat police officers tackle man to the ground, arrest him on suspicion of driving under the influence

Patrick Broussard
Patrick Broussard

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A Louisiana man was arrested Wednesday, April 24, on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs after an altercation with police along Lincoln Avenue.

Patrick Broussard, 56, faces three felony charges, including two counts of having pistols in his car as a previous offender and the prohibited use of these weapons. The charges are in addition to two misdemeanors, including driving under the influence and resisting officers, according to an arrest affidavit obtained from the Routt County Justice Center.

As his “previous offender” charges suggest, this is not Broussard’s first encounter with local law enforcement. Steamboat Springs Police Department officers arrested the man on April 14 on a similar suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. 



The most recent incident began just before 4 p.m. Wednesday when an officer stopped Broussard for failing to use his turn signal as he changed lanes and for driving a defective vehicle. 

After speaking with Broussard, the officer noticed the man seemed intoxicated. His pupils were constricted, and he kept repeating himself. At one point, Broussard suddenly exited his car to explain why his brake lights were not working and ignored the officer’s orders to get back in his truck. 



Broussard admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the day at around 6 a.m.

More officers arrived and helped direct traffic and conduct a roadside sobriety test. 

During the test, Broussard showed evidence of impairment from an unknown substance, according to the affidavit. 

Police Chief Cory Christensen said Broussard turned confrontational after failing the sobriety test, telling the four officers on scene they would have to shoot him to capture him. 

He tried to flee and swung his arms at the officers chasing him. 

Christensen said police quickly were able to tackle Broussard to the ground and put him in handcuffs without any injuries. 

Officers searched his truck and found two pistols within arm’s reach in the back seat inside a clothes basket. Broussard was not supposed to be in possession of these guns after his previous offenses.

Police did not find any controlled substances in the vehicle, according to Christensen.

Broussard was taken to UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, but he refused treatment as well as a blood test to determine whether he was under the influence of any controlled substances. 

After an almost two-hour ordeal, officers booked Broussard into the Routt County Jail just after 6 p.m.

His bond has been set at $5,000.

The incident, which unfolded along a busy street, points to the importance of following Colorado’s Move Over Law, which states people need to move to the far lane or slow down as they pass law enforcement conducting traffic stops. 

Christensen reviewed body camera footage of the arrest and saw multiple cars driving dangerously close to the scene. 

 “My police officer had to call for a second patrol car to sit in the lane of travel, so he didn’t get hit by a car,” he said. 

A Colorado State Trooper was struck and killed this winter by a passerby while helping a stranded driver. 


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