Purdue Pete Was Wasted and Got Arrested at a McDonald's For Battery

A Purdue student was arrested at 2 a.m. on October 11 at a McDonald's in West Lafayette. Why is that a story on this website? Because that student, Joseph Desmond, performs as the school's mascot, the wildly creepy Purdue Pete.

Police were called to the McDonald's after reports of two men fighting in a parking lot and after one allegedly hit the other with his vehicle. Officers put Desmond in handcuffs after a McDonald's employee identified him as the driver of the vehicle that had stuck the victim, who had sustained multiple injuries. Desmond denied the allegations.

One officer reported being, "immediately met by the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage" on Desmond's breath. He also noticed watery eyes and slurred speech. Additionally, Desmond couldn't tell officers which McDonald's he was at and claimed he had walked there. "to get a burger because he was drunk."

Desmond failed three sobriety tests at West Lafayette Police Department headquarters, and the police report said his blood alcohol level was 0.172, more than twice the legal limit. The Purdue Exponent has the charging details:

"Desmond was charged with battery resulting in bodily injury, operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, disorderly conduct, a BAC of .15 or more and resisting law enforcement, according to court records."

Ah college, am I right?

So yeah, Purdue Pete got wasted and allegedly tried to run a guy over with his car. Just a normal Saturday night/Sunday morning in West Lafayette.