MORE INFORMATION ON LEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S ARREST

  

More information has been released regarding the early Sunday morning DWI arrest of Lee County Sheriff Garrett Durrenberger.

KWHI's original report on the arrest can be found here.

According to DPS reports, a concerned citizen found Durrenberger unresponsive in his personal vehicle on Highway 290 with the blinker on.

The citizen knocked on the window and said it took approximately 15-30 seconds for Durrenberger to wake up.

After that, the citizen said that Durrenberger moved his vehicle on the shoulder of the road and then took off.

Durrenberger was later stopped by a Giddings Police Officer around 2:20am on Madison Street. The officer called a DPS trooper to the scene to assist.

The trooper detected the odor of alcohol on Durrenberger’s breath, and asked if he had been drinking.

Durrenberger told the trooper that he drank four beers earlier in the night.

The trooper noted that Durrenberger was unsteady on his feet, and had to lean on the Giddings Police car for support.

The DPS conducted one field sobriety test, but Durrenberger refused two other tests, a breathalyzer test and a blood test.

A warrant for a blood test was obtained, and Durrenberger was taken to the Ascension Smithville Hospital to have his blood drawn.

He was then booked into the Lee County Jail in Giddings for Driving While Intoxicated.

Durrenberger spent just 84 minutes in jail before being released without bond.

The Lee County Judge’s Office issued a statement saying that he and the County Attorney’s office will not be handling the case.

A visiting judge and a special prosecutor will be requested.

Durrenberger became Lee County Sheriff in 2023 following the resignation of Casey Goetz. He was elected to a full term in 2024 after running unopposed in the Republican Primary.