A “No Refusal Weekend” was held during the 4th of July weekend in Wood County.

Wood County law enforcement officers were out in force patrolling the roadways for intoxicated drivers.

If a motorist was suspected of intoxicated driving, they were asked to submit to the taking of a specimen of their breath or blood. If they refused to provide a specimen, officers obtained a search warrant from a judge for a specimen of their blood. The driver would then be taken to a local hospital where staff would secure a sample to be sent to a lab for analysis.

District Attorney Angela Albers, who spearheaded the event, and three assistant district attorneys, Brandon Baade, Joey Fenlaw and Shauna Key, participated by riding along with officers to see how they handle intoxicated driving cases.

Alba, Hawkins, Mineola, Quitman and Winnsboro Police Departments, Precinct 2 Constable Kelly Smith and DPS troopers participated in the countywide event.

Albers said, “It was a truly insightful experience to ride along with and get to visit one-on-one with the law enforcement officers of Wood County. They are dedicated to keeping the citizens of our county safe.”

Albers rode along with officers from Hawkins, Mineola, Quitman and Winnsboro Police Departments as well as a trooper from the Texas Highway Patrol.

Chief Manfred Gilow with Hawkins Police Dept. thanked the DA’s office, “Due to our close professional relationship within the surrounding departments, the no refusal weekend was a success. The community knows that we are one team and that the risk of drinking and driving is too high to take.”

Lt. Mike Chilson with the Quitman Police Dept. said, “I would like to thank District Attorney Albers and [First Assistant District Attorney] Brandon Baade for taking the time out of their schedules to ride along with the Quitman Police Dept. and different law enforcement agencies within the county this holiday weekend. We believe that this gives our district attorneys a better outlook on what the officers actually have to deal with when doing DWIs and basic patrol functions.”

Thanks to widespread publicity, most motorists chose not to take to the roadways while intoxicated.

Two motorists were arrested for DWI with one submitting to a breath test and another having a blood specimen taken.

“I am really pleased with the outcome of this weekend, “ Albers said. “We had law enforcement and prosecutors working together to achieve a common goal – community safety. I would also like to thank UT Hospital in Quitman and Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Winnsboro for their cooperation.”

This was the second year of the program. It was held Labor Day weekend in 2019.