ORLANDO, FLORIDA: A Florida man who was arrested for street racing was later found out to be a deputy of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
On August 30, Brian Espinal, a deputy of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, found himself in a sticky situation when he showed a "blatant disregard" for traffic laws, per Fox Orlando.
Who is Brian Espinal?
Per the news outlet, an officer of St Cloud Police Department saw the disgraced deputy and another biker racing through near 13th Street and Crawford Avenue at around 90 mph. When the police officer turned his lights on, Espinal stopped and the other driver went away.
When the police officer asked Espinal to give his keys, the Orange County deputy said, "I got you. I’m a deputy.”
In the bodycam video, after getting Espinal’s ID, the arresting officer showed it to multiple officers, who all reacted surprisingly.
One officer could be heard saying with surprise, “Really?!” while another asked Espinal, “How many years you got on (the job)?”
Espinal replied to the officer, “Three,” reported Click Orlando.
Per the arrest report, Espinal was going almost double the permissible limit. He told the officers that he was on his way to a date night and was carrying a female passenger in the back seat.
Espinal, 27, also claimed, "I just got the bike not too long ago, and I wanted to impress her.” He further added, “It's really bad. I don't speed at all.”
While Espinal vehemently denies that he was racing with the other motorcyclist and claims they were rather admiring each other’s vehicles, the prosecuting officers do not agree.
One officer wrote in the report, "This statement is not probable or [believable] by a reasonable person due to two people who have just met be willing to [partake] in such dangerous operation of a [motorcycle] and a blatant disregard for traffic law and public motorist [safety].”
What are Brian Espinal's charges?
The Orange County officer, who has been with the force since 2019, was arrested and relieved of his duties for the period of the investigation.
Espinal is a part of the force’s uniformed patrol division. After arrest, he was charged with reckless driving and street racing.
A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff's Office said, "He has been relieved of all law enforcement duties and reassigned to administrative duties while the criminal case is underway.”
