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Mayor from Northern California apprehended for driving, substance possession offenses

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A mayor from Northern California was suspected to have driven under the influence and possessed a controlled substance. Jail booking records said he was arrested for these offenses.

Mayor Brett Watson on Arcata was apprehended by the California Highway Patrol late Sunday night.

The official was booked at Humboldt County Jail over his alleged driving under the influence, owning a controlled substance and possession of drug consumption material.

According to a CHP press release, Watson was caught possessing a “small amount of illegal narcotics” but the kind of controlled substance he allegedly owned was not determined.

Officers “were conducting traffic control in the area of US-101 northbound and Sunset Avenue when they observed a silver Lexus sedan cross over a flare pattern set up for the regulation of traffic,” as stated in the press release.

CHP flagged the vehicle and interrogated the driver, the release furthered, as it said that the driver has displayed  “objective signs and symptoms of impairment, as well as the observed unsafe driving behavior.”

The release claimed that the mayor was found possessing the narcotics after he was searched.

According to records, he was released shortly after the arrest.

His arrest was not denied by Arcata City Manager Karen Diemer who told the Times Standard that it was a “matter of public concern.”

Diemer furthered that it is “extremely personal for the mayor.”

“I trust that the mayor will be addressing constituent concerns shortly,” she said, as reported by SFGate.

Recently, Watson went against the Arcata City Council’s push for measures to decriminalize some psychedelic plants, the East Bay Times reported. The mayor appealed to a city committee to provide more guidance.

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