POLICE BEAT

Two Chi Phi fraternity members decided to hold an fireworks display Saturday, not realizing a Tucson police officer was watching them launch the illegal explosives from the chimney of their fraternity house, 1104 E. Seventh St.

The officer reported seeing a large fireworks display at 9:30 p.m., and arrived at the house just in time to see two students set off what he later found out was a "Texas Giant" firework, police reports stated.

The Tucson police officer notified a university police officer, who arrived minutes later and found a box containing the spent remains of numerous types of fireworks, including an Aerial Comet, Starlight Candle, Dragon's Breath and various Saturn Missiles.

One of the students told the officer he bought the fireworks with other students while visiting New Mexico, and didn't know they were illegal in Arizona.

The officer told the two students they would be referred to the Dean of Students Diversion Program in lieu of arrest for the unlawful possession of fireworks.

University police arrested two men on an alcohol-related charge Saturday after spotting them sharing a beer in an alley near East First Street and North Martin Avenue.

An officer approached the men at 4:23 p.m. and noticed they both had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol, police reports stated. Both admitted to drinking from a 22-ounce bottle of King Cobra malt liquor, police reports stated.

A check indicated that one of them, identified as Michael A. Davila, 39, of the 300 block of West 44th Street, had a warrant for his arrest for selling spirituous liquor without a license in October 1997, reports stated.

Davila was arrested for the warrant and on suspicion of drinking alcohol in public and taken to the Pima County Jail, reports stated.

The officer cited the other man, identified as John R. Tapia, 48, of the 6300 block of South Camino Verde, on suspicion of drinking alcohol in public and released him, reports stated.

A university police office arrested a man on suspicion of drunken driving early Saturday, after finding him unconscious at the wheel of his vehicle while waiting at a stoplight at East Speedway Boulevard and North Park Avenue.

The officer spotted a white Chevy Blazer in the intersection at 1:41 a.m. that would not move for the length of the green light, police reports stated.

The officer parked his police cruiser behind the Blazer and walked toward the driver's side door, where he saw a man sitting in the driver seat slumped over the steering wheel, reports stated. The truck's taillights were on and its engine running.

The driver awoke after the officer tapped on the window twice, but would only stare at him as he asked him to roll his window down, reports stated.

The officer then opened the door and turned off the vehicle's ignition switch, taking the keys, and asked the driver, identified as Brian R. Baker, 48, of the 3500 block of East Hampton Street, to step out of his vehicle.

The officer noticed Baker had a moderate odor of alcohol on his breath and mumbled when he spoke, at one point telling the officer "There's no question about it, I'm inebriated," reports stated.

Baker was taken to university police headquarters, where tests indicated he had a blood-alcohol level of .145 and .141 percent. Baker was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and released to a taxicab.

University police warned a student for criminal trespassing Sunday after employees complained she became belligerent when told she couldn't use the weight room at the Student Recreation Center, 1400 E. Sixth St.

An officer arrived at 11:08 a.m. and spoke to an employee, who said the student asked him to let her in the center so she could find her friend, who would sponsor her and pay her $5 visitor's fee to use the weight room, police reports stated.

The employee told police he saw her working out 10 minutes later but still hadn't paid the fee, adding that she became upset at him and said, "Are you calling me a fucking liar?" and backhanded him on the forearm, reports stated.

The officer found the student outside and told her she was barred from the Recreation Center and issued a criminal trespassing warning before releasing her, reports stated.

Police Beat is compiled from official University of Arizona Police Department reports.