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UPDATE | Bibb commissioner charged with DUI after almost running red light

Authorities brought Virgil Watkins to the Bibb County Jail

An incident report from Georgia State Patrol provides more context into what led to the arrest of Bibb County commissioner Virgil Watkins early Friday morning.

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According to the report, Trooper Michael Brock was patrolling north on Fifth Street in Macon when he saw a blue Chrysler 300 almost run a red light on Poplar Street and stop ‘way after the stop bar.’

Brock activated his lights and conducted a stop on the Chrysler, driven by Watkins.

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The report says an assisting trooper was talking to Watkins and smelled alcohol, and that he had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

Watkins told the trooper he had one beer at the Rookery and agreed to a field sobriety test.

During the test, Watkins told the assisting trooper he didn’t want to complete the sobriety test and wanted to take a breathalyzer as to not ‘waste anyone’s time.’ The preliminary test returned a result of .106.

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At that point, Watkins was placed under arrest and refused to give a blood sample before being turned over to Bibb jail staff.

This is not Watkins' first time behind bars in Bibb County. In 2013, then commissioner-elect Watkins spent a few hours in the Bibb Jail, arrested for an unpaid ticket from Dooly County for an expired tag.

Macon Council member Virgil Watkins, Jr., who is about to take a seat on the new Macon-Bibb County Commission, was arrested by Macon police and taken to jail Monday. He was released Monday night after three hours in custody, according to the Bibb County jail website.

13WMAZ was at the jail later Friday morning around 6:40 a.m. and saw Watkins pacing outside.

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