A Galveston city council member was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest after a two-vehicle crash along Seawall Boulevard. Jason Hardcastle, who represents District 6, was taken into custody following the collision near 69th Street, according to the Galveston Police Department.
Police responded to the crash in the 6800 block of Seawall Boulevard at about 8:15 p.m., according to ABC13 Houston. The Houston Chronicle, which first reported the arrest, said the collision occurred just after 8 p.m. and involved two vehicles. A Galveston Police Department spokesperson reported there were no injuries in the crash.
Officer Cited Signs of Intoxication, Police Say
According to the police account relayed by the Houston Chronicle, an officer observed possible signs of intoxication during the stop. Hardcastle refused to provide a breath sample, police said, prompting officers to obtain a search warrant for a blood specimen to be collected by a trained medical professional.
Police allege Hardcastle then resisted officers' efforts to serve that warrant. He was charged with resisting arrest in addition to the DWI allegation, and booked into the Galveston County Jail on a $2,500 bond, per The Galveston, which reported that Hardcastle faces two misdemeanor charges in total.
How the Charges Are Classified Under Texas Law
A first-offense driving while intoxicated charge is classified as a Class B misdemeanor, while resisting arrest is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, carrying the potential for a stiffer penalty. The underlying DWI offense itself falls under Texas Penal Code Section 49.04, the statute that defines intoxicated driving in the state.
Attorneys from Zendeh Del and Associates, who said they represent Hardcastle, told KHOU that he had never previously been arrested and described him as a respected community member, a devoted family man, and a man of faith. The attorneys also said that consuming alcohol and then driving is not by itself a crime in Texas, arguing that state law specifically prohibits driving while intoxicated and that the distinction is significant.
A First-Term Council Member
Hardcastle was first elected to represent District 6 on the Galveston City Council this year, according to the city of Galveston's official website. The arrest puts a recently elected local official at the center of a criminal case just months into his tenure representing the district.
The case adds Hardcastle's name to the ranks of local officials facing public scrutiny over an off-duty arrest, though no charging documents or court filings detailing the next steps in the case were immediately available. His attorneys' full response, delivered to KHOU, centers on challenging the intoxication allegation itself rather than disputing that a crash and arrest took place.
