Eugene police threatened for plan to take blood

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Eugene Police Chief Pete Kerns says he’s concerned about threats on Facebook from people who are angered by a plan to take blood from suspected impaired drivers who refuse a breath test.

Kerns told The Register-Guard (http://bit.ly/VHLIGG ) police will be vigilant on Friday night as they carry out a Fourth of July emphasis they call “No Refusal.”

Arrested drivers who refuse a breath test will be taken to police headquarters in Eugene where waiting prosecutors can obtain a warrant from an on-call Lane County Circuit Court judge for a mandatory blood draw.

Some people complained on Facebook the forcibly drawing blood tramples on a basic human right. One wrote, “You forcibly take blood from me — I will forcibly take blood from you.”

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com