A public records request filed by Our Town Reno has revealed that The Library bar owner West Muller was arrested for a hit and run crash, driving under the influence, as well as obstructing and resisting arrest in early September.
After we had posted a video from which these screenshots come from of two men exiting a crashed Cadillac with the license plate Library, despite our repeated searches, we had not seen Muller’s name in the Washoe County inmate search.
Several emails to different local law enforcement agencies had not led to new information either, prompting our records request.
In the video the men who appear dazed open their car doors and leave the damaged Cadillac in the road, while walking away despite several people following them, a dog barking and others off camera telling them “stay here,” “I got you on camera man, don’t go anywhere,” “where are you going,” and “don’t you want to be F**** responsable [sic].”
The report we received had nearly 40 pages with the time of the crash listed as 12:36 September 7th involving two other vehicles, a blue Dodge Ram and a white Toyota Camry.
The Cadillac driver is listed as West Muller and his passenger as Conor Flanagan.
It indicates Muller’s vehicle was traveling on E 4th street, failed to maintain its lane and struck an unoccupied vehicle, which then pushed that vehicle into a third one.
The report indicates two officers were dispatched after two white males had fled their car on foot, eastbound on 4th street, with the long-haired driver wearing dark shorts and a purple shirt, with a bloody face and looking drunk, according to one witness.
The officers then located the two men in an area of 5th street, bloodied and still walking eastbound. Flanagan stopped and sat down on the curb when asked to do so, according to the report, while Muller allegedly fled into a trailer park, “despite repeated commands to stop.” He then allegedly hid behind a trailer before being detained. He was described in the report as being “extremely unsteady on his feet.”
The report says Muller allegedly said he “shouldn’t have been drinking and driving,” and that he looked “disheveled,” wearing just one flip flop at that point.
The report says he answered he thought they were in Sparks, with an officer noting he smelled like alcohol and that his speech was slurred.
“West showed objective signs of alcohol/drug impairment, including a PBT of .193% BrAC, and had been the at-fault driver in a crash which he left the scene of. I placed West under arrest for obstructing and resisting (non-compliance), hit and run, and DUI 1st-Alcohol/Drugs. West's car was towed,” the report then indicates. That level indicates severe impairment, in the so-called confusion and sloppy drunk stages of intoxication.
“I read West the informed consent admonishment which includes a warning that his license would be revoked if he refused testing. West refused evidentiary testing. I contacted Judge Christopher Hazlett-Stevens and applied for a telephonic/electronic Search and Seizure Warrant for Blood. Judge Christopher Hazlett-Stevens issued a Search and Seizure warrant for blood at 0150 hours,” the report notes.
“West was transported by REMSA to [redacted] for medical treatment and clearance, as he'd sustained several lacerations during the crash. I followed REMSA, and upon arrival at the hospital, I physically served West a copy of the seizure warrant at 0230 hours. I then observed Phlebotomist/EMT [redacted] clean West's left arm with an iodine swab from the blood kit. At 0237 hours I observed withdraw 2 vials of blood from West's left arm. [redacted] gave the vials to me, and I placed them into the Washoe County Crime Lab Blood Kit, in accordance with the instruction sheet. West was cited for the crimes of obstructing and resisting (non-compliance), hit and run, and DUI 1st-Alcohol, as it was unknown how long he would need to remain at the hospital for treatment. West was provided a copy of the warrant, and his citation.”
We wrote the Instagram account of the Library at thelibraryreno yesterday early afternoon to see if Muller would have a comment but have not heard back.