BRISTOL — Local police worked with Vermont State Police to arrest a man in Bristol on March 10 — twice in one day.
On Friday, March 10, at around 1:31 a.m. police were called to Main Street on a report that Joshua Bley, 36, had approached a woman on the sidewalk and shouted at her from his vehicle. Bley, who was described by Bristol police as an Oregon resident and by state police as a Lincoln resident, allegedly yelled out to the female, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” and attempted to engage her in conversation.
The woman was frightened by the incident and locked herself in her car. She drove a short distance away, and Bley followed, according a report from Bristol Police Chief Kevin Gibbs. She then drove down Main Street, and Bley again followed behind her flashing his headlights.
The woman sped down numerous side streets until she lost sight of Bley.
Bley was located on Rockydale Road by a responding trooper who was en route to the area to assist with the investigation. Police said Bley was impaired and taken into custody for driving under the influence at around 2 a.m. State police report that a preliminary sample of Bley’s breath showed a blood alcohol content of 0.195 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08. The trooper said Bley also admitted to smoking marijuana prior to driving.
Police took Bley to the New Haven state police barracks for processing, and released him after citing him for driving under the influence-refusal. VSP Lt. Jeffrey Donoski said Bley was cited for “refusal” because the breath test on the road was preliminary and Bley refused to give an evidentiary sample when the trooper got him back to the barracks.
Later on Friday,  at around 1:39 p.m., police responded to a report that an intoxicated man — identified as Joshua Bley — was approaching female customers at Maplefields gas station on West Street. Based on the reported vehicle description, the officer recognized Bley from the earlier DUI arrest and requested a unit from the Vermont State Police for assistance.
By the time Bristol police arrived, the trooper had already made contact with Bley and was evaluating him for driving under the influence. State police reported that a preliminary breath test showed Bley’s blood alcohol content was 0.182 percent this time. Bley also told the trooper that he had smoked marijuana prior to driving, state police reported. They took him to the barracks in New Haven again.
The Bristol officer talked to the clerk at the business and learned that Bley had been inside the store and asked for a cigarette from the employee. After getting a cigarette, Gibbs reported, Bley tried to pay for the cigarette by offering the employee a bag of marijuana across the counter. Video surveillance was obtained and verified the statement of the clerk, police said.
State police report that they cited Bley for DUI-refusal, again because he didn’t give a sample in the barracks. Bristol police report that there was an additional citation of attempted sale of marijuana.
Bley was lodged at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility for lack of $2,500 bail.