Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Romario Louis Luke, 25, of Austin pleaded not guilty to charges of felony fourth-degree assault – peace officer – demonstrable bodily harm, gross misdemeanor fourth-degree assault – physically assault peace officer, gross misdemeanor DWI – refuse to submit to chemical test of blood or urine as required by search warrant, misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI – under the influence of alcohol, and misdemeanor trespassing – dwelling – on Thursday in Mower County District Court.

Court documents state that Luke was arrested on July 2 after a woman reported he was intoxicated, “acting crazy” and had crashed his vehicle into an oak tree at the bottom of her driveway as he was leaving her Rose Creek residence. Deputies saw evidence of the crash on the tree.

Deputies searched for Luke and received a call from a woman saying Luke was passed out at her residence. Deputies arrived at the residence and found Luke, noting that he smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet.

Luke denied that he had been driving and said he had been sleeping on the woman’s couch for several hours. The woman disputed Luke’s statement, saying he did not have permission to be inside her residence.

After refusing to comply with field sobriety testing, Luke was arrested. While en route to the Mower County Jail, Luke attempted to kick out the back window of the squad car. He then complained that he had asthma and an ambulance was sent to meet the squad car near the intersection of Highway 56 and Interstate 90. An ambulance arrived and took Luke to the hospital. As the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Luke appeared to calm down, then kicked one of the deputies in the face without warning.

Luke was later taken to jail, where he refused to provide a blood or urine sample as required by a search warrant.

A review of Luke’s criminal record shows prior convictions for assault, assault on a peace officer and drug possession.

A pre-trial has been scheduled for Oct. 16.