POLK COUNTY, Fla – A Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy is accused of being drunk behind the wheel after he flipped his SUV over the weekend, according to investigators.
According to the arrest report, Josiah Perry, 26, was driving a silver 2017 Ford Explorer when it went off the road along on K-Ville Avenue near Pinter Road in Auburndale and rolled on Saturday, Oct. 30.
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Deputies said Perry wasn’t hurt, and initially claimed he wasn’t the person driving, but later admitted he was behind the wheel.
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According to the report, responding deputies also noted Perry’s eyes appeared bloodshot and watery. Perry also admitted he had been drinking beforehand, records show.
Deputies said they performed a field sobriety test, determined Perry was under the influence and he was arrested.
He is facing one charge of driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, and one charge of DUI with property damage. He was released on $1,000 bond, $500 for each charge, according to a statement by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Perry resigned from his position as a Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy after his arrest, records show. The sheriff’s office said had he not resigned he would have been fired.
“Perry has lost my trust and faith, as well as that of the community,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “He can no longer serve as a law enforcement officer as a result of his conduct and untruthfulness.”
Perry was hired by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on July 23, 2019.