Felony Warrant Issued for Stinfer on Drunk Driving
Posted
Staff Report-
Michael Stinfer, an independant candidate for District 22 State Representative, faces a felony charge of drunk driving from an Aug. 16 incident. A warrant was issued Tuesday for Stinfer, 34, West Center Street, Warsaw, according to 1st Sgt. Chad Hill, public information officer for the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department. The active warrant for drunk driving is a felony charge because of a prior arrest for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Stinfer had not been booked into the Kosciusko County Jail as of this morning, though his bond has been set at $15,000. The warrant resulted from a traffic stop Aug. 16, when a Warsaw Police Department officer stopped Stinfer’s vehicle on East Center Street in Warsaw around 1 a.m. for having improper headlights. When the officer spoke with Stinfer, he noticed an odor of alcoholic beverages and visible signs of intoxication, according to a WPD incident report. After Stinfer failed the standard field sobriety test, the officer administered a chemical breath test three times, all with insufficient samples. Stinfer was then taken to Kosciusko Community Hospital for a blood draw. According to the warrant, issued for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with a prior, the blood draw showed a BAC of between .08 and .15. Stinfer was previously charged in Elkhart County April 26 with operating a vehicle while intoxicated – endangering a person, and operating a vehicle with a BAC of .08 or more, both misdemeanor charges. A judge dismissed the charge of endangering a person and accepted Stinfer’s guilty plea for operating a vehicle with a BAC of .08 or more as a part of a plea agreement, according to Elkhart County documents. He was sentenced on that charge to 60 days in jail with one day credit and 59 days suspended, serving no jail time. In a prepared statement about the Aug. 16 incident, Stinfer said “I take responsibility for my actions and would like to apologize to the community. I did not carelessly put anyone at risk. I was having drinks on a Friday when fireworks went off in the neighborhood, which led to a flashback. I have previously been diagnosed with Post Combat Stress, also known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. I am not proud of this. Unfortunately, for those that deal with PTSD, there is a stigma associated. I did not want that to be of concern. I failed to initially share that I was using alcohol to cope with the stress. I thought bombs were going off and drove to my grandmother’s house. I don’t enjoy sharing these details. Most wouldn’t, but I understand it is necessary after what happened. I am seeking additional counsel from the VA, and intend to continue in the race. I am sorry for my actions. I am far from perfect, but I am willing to take responsibility publicly as well as privately and make it right.”
