Waynesboro man charged with third DUI and fleeing police

Jim Hook
Chambersburg Public Opinion

WAYNESBORO – A 24-year-old man is jailed on charges of fleeing police and driving under the influence.

David Quentin Shields of Waynesboro told police he did not stop for them because his third DUI would mean time in state prison, according to court documents. Shields also said he chose the wrong way to deal with his stepfather’s death that day.

David Quentin Shields

A Waynesboro Police Department officer at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday noticed a car going the wrong way on West Second Street, according to court documents. The officer turned on his emergency lights and followed the car. The car pulled to the side of the street on South Potomac Street. As the officer radioed in the license tag number, the driver started to get out of the car. The officer noticed that the white male had red facial hair and a gray fedora. The officer shouted at the man to get back in the car. The man got back in the car and sped away.

The officer followed the car on West Gay Street, South Grant Street and West Main Street, according to court documents. The officer gave up the pursuit, but got the address of the vehicle’s owner. A Waynesboro police car and two from Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg, were already at the address where the pursued car was parked. The officer noticed a wallet on the driver’s side and an unopened bottle of alcoholic beverage on the passenger floor.

When police knocked on the door of the home and shouted, a man looked out a second-story window, according to court documents. No one came outside. Police decided, rather than get a search warrant, to get an arrest warrant because the officer had seen the driver.

Around 2:05 a.m. a second police officer saw a man go out the back door of the house, according to court documents. The second officer detained the man. A gray fedora was beside the man. When the man got up from the sidewalk, the first officer saw that the man had red facial hair and recognized him as the pursued driver.

Shields denied that he had been driving, even after police found the keys in his pants’ pocket, according to court documents. He told police his wallet was in the house. He said nothing when asked about the wallet in the car. Police asked Shields if they could get the wallet from the car. Shields said no at first, but changed his mind when police threatened to impound the car and get a search warrant.

Shields smelled of alcohol and failed sobriety tests, according to court documents. He also told police he was taking medications. His blood drawn at Waynesboro Hospital tested .148 percent blood alcohol content.

Shields is charged with fleeing police, a felony, and two misdemeanors, third offense DUI and third offense DUI with high BAC as well as four summary traffic violations. He was unable to post $20,000 bond and is held in Franklin County Jail.

His preliminary hearing is set for 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 8 before Magisterial District Judge T.R. Williams.