Staff Report

Douglas Paul Shuster

WARSAW — A Warsaw man was arrested after allegedly threatening a police officer while intoxicated.

Douglas Paul Shuster, 53, 3762 W. Old Road 30 Lot 700, Warsaw, is charged with intimidation, a level 6 felony; operating while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement, both class A misdemeanors; possession of marijuana, a class B misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a class C misdemeanor.

On Dec. 16, 2022, a Warsaw Police officer was advised of a possibly intoxicated driver traveling on the wrong side of East Market Street. A second investigating officer saw the suspect vehicle traveling the wrong way on a one-way road and pulled the vehicle over. The driver was identified as Shuster.

According to court documents, Shuster said he was just trying to get back up town and didn’t realize he turned the wrong way on a one-way street. Officers also noticed Shuster was exhibiting signs of intoxication. When asked for his driver’s license, Shuster initially provided officers with a debit card.

While searching Shuster’s person, officers found marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Due to safety concerns with the weather, Shuster was taken to the Kosciusko County Jail for sobriety tests.

At the jail, officers asked Shuster how much alcohol he had consumed, to which Shuster replied with a thumbs-up. Shuster was later taken to a local hospital for a blood draw. While being taken into a lab, Shuster attempted to drag his feet and pull away multiple times. At one point, Shuster threatened to kill one of the officers.

Shuster was previously convicted of battery against a public safety official in Kosciusko County in November 2021.

Shuster was released on his own recognizance. He has an initial hearing at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9, in Kosciusko Superior Court One.