ESCONDIDO Ca : Officers break window when driver fails to comply...

OFF THE WIRE
 LYNDSAY WINKLEY - lwinkley@nctimes.com
 North County Times - The Californian

Officers broke a driver's side window and arrested two men when they failed to comply with an officer's requests to produce a license at a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint about 7:35 p.m. Friday at Juniper Street and Valley Parkway, Lt. Neil Griffin said.
Officers asked driver Daniel Alfaro, 24, to provide a license, Griffin said. There was "no attempt of any sort" to produce one, the Escondido police lieutenant said Saturday, and the doors were locked and the windows weren't lowered more than an inch.
It was later determined that neither Alfaro nor passenger Angel Navarrete, 24, was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and the driver's license was valid, Griffin said.
Jenifer Leiendecker, an anti-checkpoint activist, said Alfaro has attended several area protests of checkpoints in recent weeks. Alfaro could not be reached for comment Saturday
At a checkpoint several weeks ago, she said, he was handing out educational materials to drivers in the secondary screening areas regarding individual rights at checkpoints. It was reported Alfaro may have had a video camera with him at the checkpoint Friday, which Griffin confirmed.
Griffin said it is important for windows to be down to determine a driver's sobriety, which is the primary objective of checkpoints. Aspects of drunkenness such as odor on the breath, speech patterns, eye movement and responsiveness are difficult to assess with windows rolled up.
"With the window all the way down, we can very quickly and efficiently evaluate as many drivers as possible if they are under the influence of alcohol," Griffin said.
Griffin said force was limited and used only after a warning was given. He also said the two men caused the closure of the checkpoint for several minutes. Both men were arrested for obstructing the performance of an officer's duty. Both were released from the San Diego County jail about 4 a.m. Saturday.
Protesters, including Leiendecker, were present near the checkpoint Friday advising drivers of the checkpoint ahead.
One driver abruptly turned after passing the protesters, Griffin said. He was pulled over for a vehicle code violation, and officers discovered the driver had six suspensions on his driver's license for prior DUI offenses.
Another driver went past a road closed sign after seeing the protesters and was stopped by police. He was unlicensed.
Protesters have said previously that the checkpoints disproportionately affect illegal immigrants, most of whom are Latino, who are barred by state law to obtain licenses.
Out of the 1,637 vehicles that were screened, 45 were sent to a secondary screening. There were no arrests for DUIs at the checkpoint, but a motorist elsewhere was arrested for DUI by a roving unit. One driver was cited and released for being in possession of marijuana, 21 vehicles were impounded, five drivers had suspended licenses and 16 drivers did not have a driver's license.
Call staff writer Lyndsay Winkley at 760-740-5444.