Phillip Patronas, a Dauphin Island council member, was arrested early on the morning of July 29th on charges of driving under the influence, and disorderly conduct. Records show that Patronas was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail at 1:46 a.m. and released several hours later. Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier believes the arrest shouldn’t change Patronas’s position on the town council. He and the other four council members have decided they will “wait and see how everything plays out” before making a final decision.
Eyewitness reports say that Patronas, 56, was driving down DeSoto lane in route to his home around 1:30 a.m. with police close behind. Several officers on the scene spent time interviewing Patronas in his front yard and reports show that police were on the scene for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. A short time after, they placed handcuffs on Patronas, pushed him over the car, and patted him down before sticking him in the back of the patrol car.
Records show that this was not the first run in with the law for Patronas. He was arrested on DUI charges in 1989 and also had other arrests including theft of property and for receiving stolen property.