Man tries to deter drunk driving with paintballs

Good intentions didn’t stop a Kennewick man from being thrown in jail after trying to prevent his friend from driving drunk.

Kennewick police were called around 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday to an apartment complex at 804 S. Olympia St., after a witness reported a neighbour was shooting a paintball gun at a car, Sgt. Ken Lattin said.

The witnesses also said that at least one of the paintballs had hit his apartment, Lattin said.

When officers arrived, they found Shawn M. Wallace, 41, covering the windshield of a friend’s car with paintballs. Wallace told police he wanted to keep his friend from driving drunk.

Wallace was arrested and booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of unlawfully discharging a weapon and an unrelated misdemeanor warrant.

“This is a very creative way to prevent someone from drinking and driving, but not legal or safe,” Lattin said.