West Melbourne cop charged with DUI in Orlando crash
A West Melbourne Police officer was arrested Friday morning in Orlando on a charge of driving under the influence with property damage, according to a Facebook post by the agency and an arrest affidavit.
Joshua Perez-Lopez, 27, was arrested by Orlando police following a crash that occurred just before 3 a.m. Friday in the area of L B Mcleod Road and John Young Parkway, an Orlando Police arrest affidavit said.
No details of the crash were released.
Perez-Lopez was transported to the Orange County Sheriff's Office DUI Center, where an Orlando police officer observed him for 20 minutes, the affidavit said.
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Upon entry into the center, Perez-Lopez appeared to be covered in vomit. After changing into new clothing, police observed him speaking in a low and mumbled voice, displaying bloodshot eyes and the "obvious odor of the impurities of alcoholic beverages" on his breath. Perez-Lopez appeared to fall asleep about eight minutes into the observation.
While at the DUI Center, he was asked to take a breath alcohol test, and he refused.
West Melbourne police said in a Facebook post that Perez-Lopez was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation by the Office of Professional Standards and Acting Chief Richard Cordeau.
They added that the criminal investigation was being handled by the Orlando Police Department.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida cop on leave after DUI charge in Orlando
