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Drunk Airman's Double 'Wet Willy' on Cop Lands Him in Jail

By Daniel Taylor, Esq. on October 23, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A senior airman in the U.S. Air Force has pleaded guilty to disruptive intoxication after giving a police officer a "Wet Willy" over the weekend.

Riley Swearingen, 24, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge Monday in a Mankato, Minnesota, courtroom, reports The Associated Press. Swearingen agreed to the plea deal after initially being charged with a peculiar felony for the apparent prank.

How did Swearingen's moistened fingers end up in the ears of one of Mankato's finest?

According to the criminal complaint, a Mankato police sergeant was talking with the driver of a bus when he "felt two fingertips that were obvious to him as wet with saliva being pushed into his right and left ear canals, which caused pressure and discomfort in his ear canal."

The officer turned and heard Swearingen tell his friends, "I just gave a cop a Wet Willy." After being detained, a breath test showed that Swearingen's blood-alcohol concentration was 0.186 percent, more than double the legal limit. Swearingen explained to the police he was on active duty in the Air Force, was home on leave from North Carolina, and was just joking around.

However, Mankato police took Swearingen's prank all too seriously. In addition to gross intoxication, Swearingen was charged with fourth-degree assault on a peace officer with bodily fluids, a felony.

Stiffer Sentence for Transfer of Bodily Fluids

Under Minnesota law, fourth-degree assault on a police officer is punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and up to a $3,000 fine. However, if the assault involves the intentional transfer of "bodily fluids" at or onto the officer, a conviction can result in up to three years of imprisonment and a fine of $6,000.

After spending the weekend in jail for his double "Wet Willy," Swearingen avoided the potential felony charge by opting to plead guilty to misdemeanor disruptive intoxication. He also had to pay $77 in court costs, the AP reports.

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