University of Iowa student asks officer for ride to dorm, gets a lift to jail instead

IOWA CITY - A University of Iowa student got his wish Thursday night when he climbed into the back of a squad car and asked for a ride.

Well, sort of.

According to a University of Iowa Police report, an officer was in traffic when 18-year-old John L. Chapman approached and asked for a ride to Burge Residence Hall. The officer told Chapman to get out of the street and onto the sidewalk, police said. Instead, Chapman opened the back door of the squad car and got in.

Police said Chapman appeared to be drunk. He submitted to a preliminary breath test, which showed he had a blood alcohol content of .236 percent, nearly three times the legal limit. Instead of a ride back to his dorm, Chapman got a lift to the Johnson County Jail. He now faces one count of public intoxication, a simple misdemeanor.