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A Dunedin man managed to run approximately 150m away from police after trying to flee with a face full of pepper spray.
Multiple members of the public reported the 34-year-old man’s erratic driving on Sunday, Senior Sergeant Iain Notman, of Dunedin, said.
Police located the man while he was parked outside a store in Forbury Rd, South Dunedin.
Officers entered the store and told the man he had to undergo breath testing procedures.
However, he decided to run away from police instead.
He allegedly leapt into the driver’s seat and began rolling his window up, but not before officers managed to deploy pepper spray in his direction.
Despite the pepper spray, he started his vehicle and fled the scene.
He managed to get approximately 150m away from where he fled before coming to a stop.
The man then underwent breath testing procedures and recorded a breath alcohol of 797mcgs — over three times the legal limit of 250mcgs.
He was arrested, his licence was suspended for 28 days, his car was impounded and he was charged with driving with excess breath alcohol a third or subsequent.
The man was bailed to appear in Dunedin District Court at a later date.