On December 18th, 2024 at approximately 1:12 in the morning, Urbana Police Department officers pulled over a vehicle driving erratically through the streets. [music] But, this wasn't just any traffic stop. The driver behind the wheel was Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin, a man sworn to uphold the law, about to find out that the badge doesn't put you above it, or does it? This is body cam footage from that night. Champaign boy called 3411, KBB 3411. I'm going to be out on Jefferson and Body Circle. Confirm the location and please. He's on Patrick Avenue. Right by Body Circle. Thank you. What was it? Urbana PD again. 10-02 24, I just got a Well, smell it. There's vomit on the side of the There is? Yeah, I mean he's hammered. All right, I'm going to have you step out. Yeah. Don't mess around with it. Okay. Come on, walk over here, you're okay? Matt, what are you doing? What do you mean? Okay. I didn't want to make sure you're not grabbing stuff, all right? Really? Come on, over here. It's all right. We'll be going to where it's flat, okay? >> to go home, man. What's that? Really? Really what? We're just going to go over here where it's flat, Matt. We're going to do some tests, all right? No. No what? What? I said we're going to walk over here and do some tests. No. Now, you stay right here. Stop right there. You got a gun on you? Don't act this way. Don't. Sheriff, don't. Right there. Did you catch that? The officers are calling him Sheriff because they know exactly who he is. Despite being visibly intoxicated, Melvin is already resisting cooperating with the officers. He's not following basic instructions and seems to believe his position as Sheriff should grant him special treatment. [music] But, these Urbana officers aren't backing down. We're going to do some tests. Okay? >> Yeah. All right, so let's walk over You can make a phone call. All right. Where do you want to take me? What's that? We're here to this pavement to do some tests. >> Okay. All right. All right. Can you Can you stand on over here? No. Okay. No what? No, I'm not doing anything. Freezing. It's cold out. Yeah, freezing [ __ ] freezing. Ow. Are you Are you trying to call Josh Jacobs? No. All right. All right, well, let's get done with that and let's go ahead and finish these tests, all right? Are you refusing to take the test? Is that what you're doing? Take it. Matt. Are you refusing to take the test? No, I'm not refusing to take the test. All right, then let's go over here to where it's flat. I like to go home. Okay. We'll do this testing first and make sure you're okay to drive, man. There's just a strong smell of alcohol, you can't drive very well, and there's puke all down the side of your car. I'm not puking on the side of my There is? No, there is not. Yes, there is. There is not. Okay. So, we're going to do some tests to make sure you're safe to drive. You're refusing to take the test, we'll be placing you under arrest for OVI. Really? Yes. You're absolutely amazing. I'm asking you to take some field sobriety tests, Matt. Can you do that? All right, let's get our stuff done first here and you can make some phone calls in your minute, all right? What's that? All right. Let's Let's step on over here. We're going to take some field sobriety tests, all right, Matt? Are you refusing? Really? Are you refusing to take the test? That's why I'm asking you. Are you refusing to take the test? Yeah, I'm recording. Yes. Okay. All right, Matt. I'll let you make a couple phone calls, but we got to get this moving along here. So, are you going to take some field sobriety testing? We need to do the field sobriety test, all right? No. Are you refusing to do them? Yeah. Okay. Well, then you I'm going to place you under arrest for OVI. Really? Yeah, for what? For driving under the influence of alcohol. Do you have a gun on you? Really? Yes, Matt, you're under arrest. Don't you resist. Don't. >> Really? I'm not. That's the way your gun is there. >> You're amazing. Thank you. Other hand, please. Other hand, please. Don't resist. And just like that, Sheriff Matthew Melvin is officially under arrest for OVI, operating a vehicle under the influence. Despite multiple chances to cooperate, he refused every field sobriety test. The officers handled this textbook, professional and by the book, regardless of who was in handcuffs. He's got broad shoulders. Get your other set of cuffs out. I'm not trying to bind them up. You think I am? I don't think you are. You think I am? I said I don't think you are. And it's cuz of two of them. I can't put my back here. All right, I know you're not. You're [ __ ] amazing. I'm going to leave your knife in the truck, all right? You got it. Forward to you. Yeah, with me. Huh? Sitting in the truck. Yeah, cute. You got the walking papers. All right, you got the right to remain silent, understand that? And anything you say can be used against you in a court of law, do you understand that? You have the right to speak with an attorney before any questioning. If you can't afford one, one will be provided for you by the court. Do you understand those rights? Do you understand them? You know I'm doing my job. I know you know what I'm doing. Huh? All right, come on this way. All right, turn around. Put your butt down first. I see it's hard, all right? Put your butt down first and slide in. Whoop, oh damn, dude. I'm trying to touch your [ __ ] You're all right? You're all right, Matt. All right, in. Okay. Are you okay if I move your truck or you want me to tow it? Are you good if I park it over here? Huh? I can move it over here and just park it over here in Body Circle. If you're all right with that. But, you got to give me permission to do it. If not, I'll have it towed. I don't want to tow your truck, man. I'd rather just park it, but you got to tell me it's okay for me to park it. Can I park it? Let's just make this quicker and we can get those damn things off you. Can I just park this thing? That's what I'm asking you. Keep Huh? So, no, I can't park it? God, it's disgusting. Is there vomit on the car seat? It's not in the car. Yeah. They keep going. There's vomit with a heavy smell of alcohol on the vehicle. Ah, [ __ ] I think I left his phone in his pocket. So, I wasn't really worried about it, but we need to take it out before you handcuff him. I'll meet you back there. Come on this way. Come on in here. Melvin is now being transported to the Urbana Police Station for processing. What you're about to see is his intake, where officers will read him his rights, explain the consequences of refusing a chemical test, and attempt to process his arrest. Pay close attention to how he responds. All right, let's real quick, man. I got a couple things in your pockets. Let me get those things out. Jesus. Yeah. Cute. How tight those are. They talk about it cuz I can fit my finger in there, man. Look at that. All right, have a seat right over here, Matt. Yes. It's in that stuff over there. Put your cuffs away for me and All right. So, what we're going to do, obviously we're going to go over the 2255, okay? And then once we get done with all that, we got to call somebody. We're not If you If you refuse or whatever, either way, you're going to get charged, we're going to do fingerprints, and then if you call somebody, you can have them come pick you up. Yeah. Okay? So, I'm not trying to put nobody in jail or nothing like that, all right? You got to This is your baby, so Huh? All right, here's your copy. You want to follow along with it? All right. All right, I'm going to start reading. You're under arrest for OVI. Operating a vehicle under the influence of a drug or combination of them. Operating a vehicle under the influence of a listed controlled substance or a listed metabolite of a controlled substance. Operating a vehicle Hold on a second. Wait till she's done talking so you can hear everything clearly. Yeah, start her. You're under arrest for OVI. Operating a vehicle under the influence of a drug or combination Yes. Operating a vehicle under the influence of a listed controlled substance or a listed metabolite of a controlled substance. Operating a vehicle after underage alcohol consumption or having physical control of a vehicle under the influence. If you refuse to take any chemical test required by law, your driving privileges will be suspended immediately and you will have to pay a fee to have the privileges reinstated. Amazing. If you have a prior conviction of OVI or operating a vehicle under the influence of a listed controlled controlled substance or a listed metabolite of a controlled substance under state municipal law within the preceding 20 years, you are under arrest for state OVI. [clears throat] If you refuse to take a chemical test, you will face increased penalties if you are subsequently convicted of a state OVI. If you take any chemical test required by law and are found to be over the at or over period of alcohol amount of alcohol, controlled substance or a metabolite of a controlled substance in your old blood, blood serum or plasma, breath or urine as set by law, your driving privileges will be suspended immediately. Amazing. Yeah, shaking. Hm? And you will have to pay a fee to have the privileges reinstated. If you take a chemical test, you may have an independent chemical test taken at your own expense. Okay. Any questions on that? Nope. Okay. All right. All right, this thing get it fired up. Now, I'll run through the process and you can refuse it when I get there. All right, obviously if you refuse the test, you know, your your driver's license will be suspended for a year. If you take the test and test over, you'll be having a 90-day suspension. Do you understand that? All right, come on in here. For what? If you refuse the test. For what? We have to do that when we have to make an OVI arrest. I refuse to do that. You can't refuse that. I can't? No, we'll have to place you under arrest I can't do that. Why would you refuse that? It's part of the booking process. I haven't done anything, Sean. You know You know that I'm both done that. Okay, then take the data master test. Prove that you're You're not drunk. Really? Yeah. You're driving all over the roadway. You stopped at a green light. >> I have not done that. You puked all over your car. No, I did not. I have not puked on my car. Somebody else may have puked on my car. Okay. Someone else puked on your car. Okay. So, why you driving so horribly? Why am I not driving what? Horribly. I'm not. Okay. Then why don't you just take the test and prove them wrong? Why you want to fight with me? I don't want to fight with you. No. You want to argue with me because of everybody else. Because everybody else what? >> Huh? Really? I don't care about politics. >> Yes, you do. Give me a [ __ ] I'm [ __ ] with you. You see me jumping up and down on the election stuff? I don't give a [ __ ] less about that. Just let me go home. You're going to go home. I told you that. Okay. But you got to take your fingerprints. Really? I do. No, you don't. You You and I both know you don't. I'm standing here perfectly normal with you. You and I So, Here you go. What? I'm standing here with you. I understand you're standing here with me. >> Okay. I got to take your fingerprints. >> No, you don't. I'm not going to fight you. I'm not going to freaking roll around on the ground with you to get your fingerprints. Let me go home. So, you're refusing to give fingerprints? There it is. Sheriff Melvin is now refusing to give his fingerprints. >> [music] >> Fingerprinting is a standard part of the booking process for an OVI arrest. It's not optional. Yet, Melvin continues to argue, telling the officers they don't need to do it, and even claims he's standing perfectly normal. The arrogance on display here is remarkable for a man who is supposed to be the top law enforcement officer in the entire county. Yeah. Without resisting arrest? Is that what you're saying? I'm not resisting arrest. Come on, man. Ah. You want me to call your boss? I You think I can answer the phone right now? Yeah. I don't It's 1:00 in the morning, man. >> silly. Huh? I told you guys are being silly. Why don't you call somebody for a ride home? I would have gave you a damn ride home. You don't live that far outside of town. Why are you being silly then? Come on. Come back here. Where? We got to go to the freaking booking room while we wait. I'm just going to put you in the interview room. >> here. I understand that. We got to get your tickets and stuff typed up. No. Okay. You give me a ticket while I walk perfectly normal out here. This way. Yeah, thanks. All right, right down here. Just have a seat in here until we get done. And that's the end of the booking process. Now, here's something a lot of people don't know. In Ohio and many other states, when someone is arrested for a DUI or OVI, they don't necessarily have to stay in jail. They can be released to a responsible sober adult who agrees to take custody. That's exactly what happened here. Despite everything you just saw, Sheriff Melvin was released that same night to a sober adult who came to pick him up. There was clearly some special treatment here, and Matthew Melvin, as he was allowed to leave even after refusing a breathalyzer and fingerprints. Melvin pleaded to one count of physical control, meaning he had physical control of his vehicle while under the influence. He served 12 months of community control and paid a $250 fine plus court costs. [music] Anyone else would not have been afforded these breaks, which goes to show that sometimes it just is who you know. If you like this video, please consider hitting the like button and subscribing to Body Cam Central for more. We think you might like the video that just popped up on your screen. Check it out.