ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County deputy was fired this week after deputies said he was arrested on charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Juan Morales-Padilla, 44, who the department hired in September 2022, was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on July 5.
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He is accused of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.
Dashcam footage from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office shows a motorcyclist, identified by deputies as Morales-Padilla, drive across a median and around a car. The deputy flashes his patrol lights to pull over the motorcyclist, but the motorcyclist speeds off away from the deputy.
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“He made a bad choice. And, you know, things seem to have snowballed,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Fred Jones said.
Lake County deputies said body camera footage later shows deputies taking Morales-Padilla into custody at his home.
“You know better,” the deputy is heard saying after asking Morales-Padilla if he worked in law enforcement.
The sheriff’s office said Morales-Padilla was terminated, effective immediately.
“These are serious allegations, and I have been clear that there will be no tolerance for criminal behavior involving deputies,” Sheriff John Mina said. “At the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we hold our deputies to the highest ethical standards whether they are on duty or off duty.”
Channel 9 is working to gather additional details regarding Morales-Padilla’s arrest. Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for updates.
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