Sober man arrested for DUI in Ariz. seeks $500K over dismissed case

(CBS/AP) SURPRISE, Ariz. - A man is seeking $500,000 from an Arizona city because he was arrested on a drunken driving charge, even though a field breathalyzer test and subsequent blood test results showed he hadn't consumed any alcohol.

Jessie Thornton was cited in a Dec. 7, 2012 traffic stop in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, but the charge was dismissed nearly two months later after the blood test revealed no signs of mind-altering drugs in his body.

Thornton, who is black, filed a $500,000 notice of claim against the city in late April, alleging he's the victim of racial profiling by Surprise police.

Police reports say Thornton had bloodshot eyes during the stop, while Thornton's attorney says his client's eyes were bloodshot because had just returned from swimming.

Surprise Police Chief Michael Frazier issued a statement Monday night asking the public to withhold judgment regarding Thornton's arrest. Frazier says legal issues limit what he can say about the case. But he says his department strives to be fair and that officers making roadside arrests don't have immediate access to test results.