HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A Hillsborough County deputy was arrested after being accused of driving under the influence, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office explains in a news release.
On Dec. 29, Detention Deputy Shastri Khan, who has been an employee of the sheriff's office since 2018, was taken to Lakeland Regional Hospital in an ambulance after a crash.
According to the agency, the 37-year-old had crashed his vehicle into two other cars in Polk County on State Route 33, near Groveland.
The people in the two other cars involved in the crash were left with minor injuries.
Khan didn't agree to give a breath sample at the scene as part of the criminal investigation, deputies say. But labs drawn at the hospital reportedly indicated he was impaired while driving.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, his blood alcohol content was 0.289, over 3.6 times the statutory limit of 0.08.
"As law enforcement officers, we are held to a higher standard, both on and off duty," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "It is deeply disappointing when a member of our team falls short of that standard, as is the case with this DUI.
"We will hold the individual accountable for their actions and work to rebuild the trust of our community."
The deputy was placed on unpaid administrative leave immediately after the crash and will remain on leave as the investigation continues. He's facing three charges of DUI with property damage/personal injury and a charge of DUI with BAC of 0.15 or higher.
“These blood alcohol results gave us the information we needed to charge him appropriately, in addition to the original charges," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "This is just one more reminder that driving while intoxicated leads to disastrous consequences — both for the innocent public, and for the drunk driver."