St. Thomas man held after DUI collision and threats in police custody

A St. Thomas resident facing charges in two open criminal matters was taken into custody Friday evening after a collision on Beltjen Road and subsequent confrontation with police, authorities said.

Akeem Antonio Forbes, 37, faces counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, operating a vehicle with an illegal breath-alcohol level, negligent driving, disturbance of the peace, and two counts of criminal contempt of court stemming from violations of his pretrial release conditions.

Emergency responders arrived at the crash scene near the Theodore Tunick Insurance building around 7:03 p.m. on September 25. According to a police affidavit, Forbes was operating a white 2015 Toyota in an eastbound direction when the vehicle struck a stone wall on the left shoulder. He lost control, crossed into the opposing lane, and collided head-on with an oncoming car. Both vehicles sustained substantial damage.

When officers reached the scene, Forbes was positioned against a guardrail, speaking with slurred words and displaying signs of intoxication. He directed hostile language at the other driver, police personnel, tow truck operators, and a forensics technician. A records check showed Forbes held no valid driver's license, no insurance documentation, and an expired registration from January 2022. The Toyota belonged to his deceased father and remained entangled in probate proceedings.

At the Richard N. Callwood Command Traffic Bureau, Forbes acknowledged consuming alcohol following his work shift. He did not perform successfully on standard sobriety evaluations. A breathalyzer examination showed a Breath Alcohol Concentration of 0.183 percent, exceeding the territory's 0.08 percent threshold by more than double.

Following notification of his arrest, Forbes' demeanor became increasingly hostile. Inside a holding cell, he struck the door repeatedly with his fists and kicked the walls while directing expletives at officers. Court filings document that he made specific threats, stating he was aware of where officers resided and would confront them outside the station. His combative conduct prevented a forensic technician from completing fingerprinting and standard booking procedures that evening.

Forbes was already under supervised pretrial release in two separate cases when the collision took place. He appeared before Magistrate Simone M. VanHolten-Turnbull on Monday for an Advice of Rights hearing, with his arraignment scheduled for October 16. He was ordered held at the Bureau of Corrections pending further court proceedings.