Man faces fifth DUI after leading police on chase from Long Neck to Bridgeville

A man faces his fifth driving under the influence along with drug and weapon charges after leading police on a chase Feb. 20 from Long Neck to Bridgeville.

A trooper on patrol at 12:10 a.m. on Route 24 near Banks Road saw a Ford Explorer swerving while heading westbound, police said, and when the trooper tried to pull the vehicle over, the driver continued on, running a red light and stop sign along the way.

The driver, Lee Books, 41, committed multiple traffic violations before police deployed tire deflation devices in Bridgeville, bringing the vehicle to a stop on South Main Street, police said.

Books and a woman passenger were taken into custody without further incident. While searching the vehicle, police said they found a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun with a 15-inch barrel, brass knuckles, a 6-inch fixed-blade knife, a woman’s wallet containing drug paraphernalia, about 56.57 grams of GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and other drug paraphernalia.

The woman was charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and released. Books was transported to Troop 7 where he was charged with felony fifth DUI, possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, three counts felony possession of a destructive weapon – sawed-off shotgun, leaving the scene of a property collision, and other drug and traffic violations. He was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 3 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in default of $36,415 cash bond.