Published: March 03, 2008 10:10 pm         

Man in a wheelchair loaded ... literally

Beckley Police say a 62-year-old man carrying a loaded gun was arrested for being intoxicated inside a dollar store.

However, he avoided a DUI charge because the “vehicle” he was driving was a motorized wheelchair, police said.

Frederick Galford, 62, of Autumn Lane, Beckley, is charged with public intoxication and littering by the Beckley Police Department, said Patrolman Andy Darlington. Galford was taken to the Raleigh County Public Intoxication Shelter after his Monday afternoon arrest.

Around 12:30 p.m., Darlington said he was dispatched to the Dollar Tree store at the By Pass Plaza because a caller said a man inside the store — who was driving a motorized wheelchair — had a gun. Darlington arrived at the store to find a man identified as Galford in a motorized wheelchair.

Darlington said he then asked Galford if he had a gun. Galford said he did, and a loaded .380 caliber handgun was found in a side pocket of the wheelchair. Galford had a concealed weapon permit for the gun.

Galford told police he had been drinking, and he had apparently driven the wheelchair to the store from his residence at Wildwood House Apartments, Darlington said. The apartments and the store are about 2 miles apart. Darlington gave Galford a preliminary Breathalyzer test, and Galford’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was .245 — more than three times the legal limit for driving a motor vehicle.

However, Darlington said he called someone to check the state’s DUI code and found out there is an exception for motorized wheelchairs.

Nevertheless, Galford was charged with public intoxication, and he was also charged with littering for throwing cigarette butts on the sidewalk outside the store, Darlington said. Police tried to contact a relative who could take him home, but no one could be reached.

Because Galford’s motorized wheelchair would not fit inside a patrol car, Darlington said he had to contact Affordable Towing to have the wheelchair towed to the Raleigh County Public Intoxication Shelter.

Although Galford had a permit for the handgun, Darlington said he believed it would be unsafe for Galford to have it. Darlington confiscated the gun and had it stored with police evidence. Galford would be allowed to pick it up when he was sober.