On January 1st, 2022, police in Punta Gorda, Florida responded to a welfare check at a hotel after a staff member reported a man smoking something from a pipe in a parked car. Officers arrived to find the man in the driver's seat of a running vehicle actively inhaling something. Hello, Punta Gorda Police Department. Hi, how are you? Wonderful. How are you? Doing all right. Good. You just sitting here doing some whippets? Just sitting here waiting to check out. >> Yeah. All right, do me a favor, step out of the car. Sir, I don't know if I have to do that. Yes, you do. All right. >> Why? Cuz you're ingesting whippets. What do you Does that just show up in your lap or what? It's not illegal. Okay. Do me a favor, step out of the car. I'm asking you to step out of the car. All right. I'm saying I don't >> Okay, I'm going to tell you to step out of the car in a second. And then we're going to have an issue. I have a lawyer I can Step out of the car. Got it. I have a Do you have any animal poison? Can I put it in Front of my car. Am I being arrested? You're being detained. Front of my car. Car's a rental? Okay. Just you were the car? All right. Kind of park messed up. What's your first name? Alex. Is it Alex or Alexander? Alexander. Alexander, what's your middle initial? E. Your last name? Roux, R O U X. What's your date of birth? 8/30/88. I got called here because someone said you were passed out in the car. That's why I'm here. I didn't just pull up on you. Okay? I'm here for a reason. Definitely not passed out. Okay. But You didn't at one point pass out? No. Okay. I'm just Certainly not. >> Sitting here doing what it's Yeah. See how that's a problem? I realize it's not a good look. Yeah. >> Yeah. You think? Yeah. And then I ask you to do something and you don't listen to me. You know. Luckily I'm an under >> I'm not I'm not trying to I'm not trying to be uh disrespectful towards you. That's not that's Well, luckily I'm that guy that is very patient and is very understanding, right? I could not be that guy. Okay? But I am that guy. So, just relax. All right. But I want you to understand that I'm not just here for no reason, right? >> Yeah. I didn't just say I'm going to go pull up on this one blue car in the parking lot. All right? I had multiple people call and say there was a male passed out in the car. They were worried about their well-being. I didn't know when I got here if you were going to be dead, you were going to be high, you were going to be sleeping. I have no idea. Yeah. Right? So, I get here and see what I see. And I ask you to step out of the car to separate you from the car because I don't know what's in the car. Right? I don't know if there's a loaded gun beside you or what. I don't know who you are. I've never seen you a day in my life. Okay. I have a loaded pistol right here. That's all I got. And and I hope so, right? But, I don't know. Yeah, yeah. Fair Okay. I have to go home at the end of day. All right? Oh, we all are, yeah. So, Mr. Roux, is your driver's license out of the state of Florida? Yes. Okay. Have you ever been arrested before? No. Have you ever been charged for narcotics or anything of that nature? >> No. Okay. Relax. Hang out a minute. I got somebody else that just got here. All right. We'll work through it. Hang out with him for a minute. Bro, I'm going to open the door to copy your name and date of birth. First name's Alexander, common spelling. Middle initial D Delta. Last name spelling is Romeo Oscar Union X-ray. Date of birth is 08 30 1988. No, Florida. I don't know. I'm here to take a shower, relax my stuff. R O U X is your last name? Yes. 08 30 1988? Yes. And you have a Florida driver's license? That's right. You have a Florida driver's license? No. Where's your driver's license from? New York. New York? Okay. Do you live down here? No. Are you on vacation? Yeah. Okay. I'm going to run a record check for any warrants or warrants for Alexander D R O U X. Yeah, 10-4. Run him out of New York. Discussing the case with my supervisor on 1/1 21 at 10:49 a.m. Okay. All right. So, are you staying here, coming to see somebody, coming to get a room? No, I've been staying here for 3 days. >> Oh, you've been staying here. Yeah. Okay. Fishing. Okay. I'm living in my truck. It's all fixed and stuff. Catch anything? Yeah, I got a poppano, I think. Nice. All right. So, I'm going to read some to you, Alex, okay? I need you to listen to me, all right? You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer prior to any questioning and have a lawyer present with you while being questioned. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you before any questioning if you wish. You can decide anytime to exercise these rights, not answer any questions or make any statements. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you? Am I being arrested? Uh I haven't made that determination yet. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly is going on here because I kind of just rolled up on Yeah. >> what we're with. You know what I'm saying? So, help me >> and I'm as I told your colleague, I'm not here to cause trouble. Okay. >> Really. What? Do you understand that those rights as I read them to you? I need a yes or no. Yes. >> Okay. What are you inhaling? What? What is the substance that you are inhaling? Uh I believe it's nitrous oxide. >> Nitrous oxide. How long have you been inhaling nitrous oxide? 15 minutes. No. I know that today, but your usage history. >> Oh, I don't know. Not long. It's not something that you just started today. I would assume. >> No, but like it's not something I do regularly. Okay. Is there anything else in your car besides nitrous oxide? There's a poppano. Okay. Narcotics? No. Okay. That is it. And cigarettes. Cigarettes. Would you give me consent to search your vehicle? Yeah, sure can. And that's all that's going to be in there. Yeah. Okay. Sure. Do you feel okay? Yeah. Okay, because you know that stuff kills brain cells, right? Like it's out of the drugs to do not a good one. Yeah. Okay. Do you have any knives on you or anything like that without reaching for it? Uh there's a knife in my tackle box. On your person, though? No, no, no. Okay. Is it okay with you if I check your pockets real quick, make sure you have any weapons or anything like that? Don't I'll do it for you, but I keep your hands out. Face front of my car for me. Can you put your hands on top of your head? Thank you. Spread your feet for me, Alex. All right. Relax right here with her. You're good. Turn around. Relax. Relax. All right. Don't you rinse with me. Do not inhale. Not to be used for food consumption. Not for sale to minors. Why? Because misuse can be dangerous to your health. Yes, sir. You know there's a point where you stop breathing and you don't start back again, right? Born 1988. So, you're what? Like 30? 33. 33. I would hate to come here and you're not be alive as a 33 years old, right? I don't say that to make you feel bad, but I say that to make you understand the gravity of the situation. Yeah. Cuz when I got here, you kind of were like, "Oh, it's not illegal." It is. Okay, it is illegal. Cannot inhale nitrous oxide. It is a crime per state statute. I don't know what it's like in New York, but in Florida, it's a crime. I literally walked up and watched you do it. You didn't know I was there. So, I mean, it's a It's a problem, dude. I understand. Not great. Just hang out. I'll work with it. All right, do me a favor. Face your car for me. Put your hands behind your back. Not too tight. Am I being arrested? Yes, you are. You're being placed under arrest for possession and usage of inhalants per state statute. So. Can't do that, man. And And here's my thing, right? It's obvious you have beyond a problem. All right? There's like 10 containers. And there's used cartridges everywhere. I mean, it's not something you just started today. You have an issue. The inside of car is Honestly, in the years I've been doing this, in the years I've been doing this, that's the worst car I've been through ever. All right? You've got a problem. I cannot call it just there's nothing I can do. My hands are tied. All right? You committed a crime right in front of me. What do you expect me to do? Okay? So, come out this way. Do you remember I'll grab my wallet. I'll grab your wallet. Yep. Keys are out there with the car. We have to go to the car, so I'll get y'all the paperwork on that. What's that? This is new. Yeah. Um >> What do you say for in there? What is 50 a box? 50 a box, and I mean that's not even all of them. There's more? Come look at the passenger seat. Everywhere. Oh. So. So, yeah, I'll go You want me to drop them and come back? You just go drop them and start inventory. I'm not even going to call for a tow yet, so I don't know if we're taking all the spent ones or not. Got you. So. Yeah, it's a It's a mess. The man was taken into custody and charged with felony possession of nitrous oxide. Despite his on-scene claims that his actions were not illegal, police recovered over 100 cartridges of the substance from his vehicle contained in boxes that explicitly warned, "Do not inhale. Danger to health." He was transported to the county jail and booked on the charge.