La Plata Man Charged with DUI, Cocaine Possession After Roadside Stop

Willis Matthews Brooks, 44, of La Plata, has been charged with multiple driving and drug-related offenses following a roadside encounter with law enforcement on December 14, 2025, in Charles County.

According to court documents, a Charles County Sheriff’s deputy responded to assist another officer who was helping a motorist with a flat tire along Charles Street near La Plata Road at approximately 6:23 a.m. The deputy arrived to find the vehicle — a 2006 Ford Explorer with Maryland registration — disabled on the roadside. The operator, identified as Brooks, was the sole occupant.

Brooks told the deputy that his “front right tire started losing air while he was driving for unknown reasons,” so he pulled over and discovered it was flat. He further stated that he “had just left a friend’s house” and was heading home.

While assisting Brooks, the deputy reported detecting “the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” coming from his person. The officer stated, “I know the odors of alcoholic beverages and their effects from my training and experience at the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy.” The deputy also observed Brooks “fumbling with the tire wrench” and showing “poor motor control.” Tire damage on the vehicle was noted as being “consistent with striking a curb,” although no curbs were found within a tenth of a mile.

When asked how much he had to drink, Brooks “did not provide a numerical answer.” He agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests. During the tests, the deputy reported observing “lack of smooth pursuit,” “distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation,” “onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in both eyes,” and “vertical nystagmus.” Additional testing revealed a “lack of convergence in his left eye,” “front-to-back sway of more than two inches,” and a “perception time of more than 35 seconds in a 30-second interval.” The deputy also observed “poor motor control” during the Finger-to-Nose test.

A Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) was administered at the roadside, which returned a result of 0.10g of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.

Following his arrest, Brooks was transported to the Charles County Detention Center. While there, officers stated that Brooks was advised of his rights under the Maryland Advice of Rights and was offered a chemical evidentiary test, which he refused.

According to the arresting officer, during a search incident to arrest, Brooks stated that he had “blow” either on his person or in his vehicle. The officer noted in the report: “I am aware ‘blow’ is a street name for cocaine.” A subsequent search of Brooks’ wallet reportedly revealed a folded white receipt containing a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine, a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance.

Brooks was formally charged with the following offenses:

• CDS: Possession – Not Cannabis
• Driving, Attempting to Drive Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol Per Se
• Driving, Attempting to Drive Vehicle While Impaired by Alcohol
• Driving, Attempting to Drive Vehicle While So Far Impaired by Drugs, Drugs and Alcohol That He Could Not Drive Safely
• Driving, Attempting to Drive Vehicle While Impaired by Controlled Dangerous Substance
• Refusal to Take Alcohol/CDS Test Arising Out of Same Circumstances as Conviction for TR 21-902

Brooks was released the same day on a $5,000 unsecured personal bond.

This entry was posted on December 27, 2025 at 9:41 am and is filed under A, All News, Charles News, County, Law Enforcement, More News, z 600X120 Top Ad Bottom, z 600X120 Top Ad Top. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.