Unusual Start to Summer in Key West

Picture this: your unofficial summer kickoff in Key West, Florida. We’ve got a trip planned from the suburbs of Chicago over Memorial Day weekend, eager to explore local dining spots.

I initially had plans to enjoy drinks on Saturday, but they took an unexpected turn. Sure, may have been on my to-do list, but hopping bars in a stolen police cruiser? Not quite.

The Key West Police Department reported that John Mack, a 38-year-old from La Grange, Illinois, jumped into an off-duty officer’s patrol car at Dante’s Key West Pool Bar and Restaurant. Apparently, he had been drinking there shortly before the incident, and security footage showed him leaving the bar with two friends and approaching the police vehicle just before 6:20 p.m.

According to police reports, Mack opened the door, climbed in, and drove off, almost hitting two individuals in the process. A security guard alerted the officer assigned to the vehicle, while Mack took the patrol car for a spin around the parking lot as cops responded to the scene.

Later, police found him outside the Boathouse Bar and Grill. Believe it or not, he tried to bar hop while commandeering a police vehicle. He asserted he had only consumed three to six drinks but struggled with field sobriety tests.

Then there’s his claim of resisting arrest, during which he reportedly got scraped by a fence. He declined a breathalyzer test and didn’t have a valid driver’s license, just an Illinois ID.

Mack, who is considered innocent until proven guilty, faced charges including driving under the influence, robbery, grand theft of a law enforcement vehicle, reckless driving, refusing a DUI test, and resisting arrest without violence.

Regardless of how you spin it, what a way to spend Memorial Day weekend.