VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – An off-duty deputy who was arrested on a DUI charge after he stopped in the middle of the road and drove recklessly claims he didn’t have anything to drink, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Records show 33-year-old Aaron Chavez, a Volusia County deputy, was pulled over around 11 p.m. in DeLand after other motorists reported that he was unable to maintain a lane.
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When a deputy approached Chavez’s truck, he asked Chavez why he was parked in the middle of a turn lane and Chavez responded that he didn’t know and he was driving home, according to the affidavit.
Deputies said Chavez smelled of alcohol, his speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot and his eyelids were droopy.
Records show Chavez fumbled with the door latch as he got out of the truck and swaggered and swayed while walking.
Before a field sobriety test was conducted, deputies said they asked Chavez how much alcohol he had that night and his answer was “none,” according to the report.
Deputies said Chavez failed a field sobriety test but refused to provide a sample for a Breathalyzer to determine his blood alcohol content.
He was arrested on a DUI charge.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Chavez has been administratively suspended and will be reassigned to non-law-enforcement duties. An internal affairs investigation will be conducted.