District Attorney's Office Announces Verdict in Felony DUI Trial

Reno man found guilty of felony DUI after two day trial

March 23, 2016
Reno, Nevada

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office obtained a guilty verdict against a Reno man charged with felony DUI after a two day trial in District Court. The defendant in the case had two previous convictions for felony DUI in Washoe County and California and was found to be under the influence of Methamphetamine in this most recent case.

Shawn Hemingway, 48 (DOB 4/3/67) from Reno was found guilty yesterday evening of one count of Driving Under the Influence of a Prohibited Substance in Washoe County District Court.  Trial for the case began Monday morning and concluded with the jury deliberating less than two hours Tuesday evening before finding Hemingway guilty of the charge. 

The case against Hemingway began on June 10, 2013 when Reno Police Department patrol officers responded to a call of a possible hit and run. Once on scene, the officers learned that REMSA paramedics had been called earlier in response to a report of a man who was unconscious in his vehicle.  When paramedics arrived, they found the man unresponsive in the driver’s side of his vehicle, which was stopped at a traffic light at the Longley and S. McCarran intersection. The paramedics were able to wake the man, who responded by driving his vehicle into a car directly in front of him.  Following this, the man got out of the vehicle and fled to a nearby bar.  The Reno patrol officers were able to identify the man as Hemingway and located him a short time later.  When Hemingway was contacted by police he immediately became combative and at one point spit in the face of one of the officers. Hemingway was subsequently arrested for DUI and the District Attorney’s Office filed charges against him for that offense.

During trial, the prosecution introduced evidence that when Hemingway was first located by REMSA paramedics, his car was parked in a traffic turn lane on Longley Lane that led onto S. McCarran Boulevard.  In addition, when Hemingway fled to a nearby bar, he went inside and asked for a drink.  The bartender refused and Hemingway fled again and was seen discarding a top shirt in an apparent attempt to change his appearance and avoid being caught by police. Toxicology tests of Hemingway’s blood determined he was under the influence of methamphetamine and also detected cocaine metabolite.

Hemingway is set to be sentenced on May 10, 2016 and faces 2 to 15 years in prison and a possible fine of up to $5,000.