Last Wednesday night, Middletown Mayor Domenique Thornton was taken into police custody under the suspicion of driving while intoxicated. She was pulled over at 9:45 p.m. on Timber Ridge Road in the northwest part of Middlesex County on the basis of erratic driving.

According to The Hartford Courant, Thornton failed a field sobriety test that can involve walking in a straight line and standing on one leg. She was later determined to have a blood-alcohol content of .018 percent based on the results of a breath test. In Connecticut, the legal limit under which a person can operate a motor vehicle is .08 percent. It is still possible to be charged with driving while intoxicated even if one passes the breath test. Thornton also took a urine test, and the results will be available in several weeks.

Thornton stated that she had a glass of red wine with dinner earlier that evening. She also mentioned that she had recently undergone root canal surgery and had taken a pain reliever four days earlier. If the urine test analysis shows both prescription medication and alcohol was in the mayor’s body, she can still be charged with driving while intoxicated.

Some members of the local Democratic Party said they feel that the mayor may have been unfairly targeted due to upcoming elections. According to accounts printed in The Hartford Courant and The Middletown Press, the mayor was followed for two to three miles before being pulled over by police, raising suspicion of police intentions.

Following the arrest, Thornton’s driver’s license was held by police for 24 hours, as is required by law. After posting $500 bond, she was taken out of police custody. She is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.

Thornton is seeking her fifth term as mayor in an upcoming election against Republican candidate Sebastian Giuliano on Nov. 8. She had beaten Giuliano two years ago by 232 votes in the last election.