By Jacob Mathias

A Stevens Point man faces felony charges after a concerned citizen alerted police that he was driving drunk.

Thomas Guyette, 56, faces felony charges of operating while under the influence for the eighth time. He made his initial appearance in Portage Co. Circuit Court by video on July 24.

According to the criminal complaint, a caller on July 17 reported someone struck a parked car while driving a truck while driving on the 1300 block of Briggs Street. The driver was later identified as Guyette.

A witness who reportedly saw Guyette stumbling as he left a Second St. bar, then swerve as he drove away, hitting a parked car and driving over a lilac bush.

When stopped by police, Guyette said he’d been drinking at his mother’s house, but was not sure how much alcohol he’d consumed. After failing the first part of a field sobriety test, Guyette asked to be arrested, rather than do any more tests, according to the complaint.

His breathalyzer test indicated a blood-alcohol level of .18, over twice the legal limit and nine times over Guyette’s .02 driving restriction.

His previous OWI charges occurred between 1991 and 2010, according to court records. If convicted on the newest charge, Guyette could face up to 12 years and six months imprisonment, or a $50,000 fine. The normal maximum fine of $25,000 is doubled due to the defendant’s prohibited blood-alcohol level.

Guyette is currently held on a $5,000 cash bond. He returns to court on July 31 at 3 PM.