Leake deputy, jailer charged with DUI
A Leake County Sheriff’s deputy and a jailer were arrested and charged with DUI by Philadelphia Police in separate incidents last month, the authorities said.
The men have been identified as Lee A. Permenter and Daniel J. Refre, according to Philadelphia Police Chief Eric Lyons.
Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson confirmed that Permenter was a booking officer for his department and said Permenter resigned shortly after his arrest in Neshoba County.
Refre, Atkinson said, is a deputy with the LCSO and he has been put on administrative leave pending an investigation.
“The law needs to be enforced equally,” Atkinson said. He went on to note that the issue is “in the court's hands now.”
Lyons said Permenter and Refre were arrested just hours apart in the late evening of June 20 and early morning hours of June 21 respectively.
Permenter, 57, of 217 Clubview Drive, Carthage, was arrested and charged with first-offense DUI, careless driving, disorderly conduct, fleeing law enforcement, reckless driving and disobeying an official traffic control device.
Refre, 54, 11931 Road 743, Carthage, was arrested and charged with first-offense DUI.
On June 20 at about 11 p.m., a PPD officer observed a vehicle swerving carelessly on west Beacon Street near Walmart, according to Lyons. The officer initiated blue lights and siren in an attempt to make a traffic stop.
The vehicle continued onto Highway 15 southbound failing to stop at a stop sign and accelerated in what Lyons said “appears to be an attempt to evade officers.”
Officers pursued the vehicle as it ran a red light at Frog Level Road on the bypass. Lyons said the vehicle did finally stop on Highway 16 west where officers made contact with the Permenter, the driver, who appeared to be intoxicated.
After standard tests were performed, Permenter was arrested and booked into the Winston County jail where the city of Philadelphia pays to have prisoners housed.
Winston County Jail Records show Pemrenter was released at 4:29 p.m. on June 21, on a $3,000 bond.
Separately, in the early morning hours of June 21 at about 2 a.m., Lyons said Philadelphia PD officers made contact with a truck on Pecan Avenue in the parking lot of Vowell’s Market Place. Officers observed a vehicle with headlights on and the motor running and an individual appeared to be asleep inside.
Officers then made contact with the operator of the vehicle and identified him as Daniel Refre. Officers observed the odor of alcohol while speaking with him, Lyons reported.
“After observation of Refre, officers arrested him and transported him to the Winston County jail where he was booked for DUI 1st Offense Refusal,” Lyons said.
Winston jail records show his bond was set at $1,500 and he posted the bond later that morning.