On October 15, 2022, 29-year-old Orange County Assemblyman John Guzman was found intoxicated by a St. Cloud police officer in a Walmart lot in Osceola County. Footage of the incident, showing Guzman unconscious in his car, was released by Law & Crime on October 18.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that after the incident, John Guzman was charged with drink driving. Responding officer Kaitlyn Burkard reported seeing vomit outside of the vehicle.
John Guzman clearly didn’t react
In the bodycam footage, Kaitlyn Burkard can be seen approaching Guzman’s vehicle with the deputy sheriff’s body hanging out of an open door. As she approaches Guzman, she is heard asking if he’s okay, but the deputy sheriff doesn’t respond and is unconscious.
Again and again one hears Burkard say:
“Sir, are you alright?”
Burkard gently pushed Guzman’s body back into the vehicle and tried to wake him up. While sitting up, Guzman did not respond, leading Burkard to believe he had consumed large amounts of alcohol.
Eventually, when other officers arrived at the scene, a seemingly disoriented John Guzman got out of the car. In the arrest report, Burkard noticed Guzman’s red eyes. She also reported that he had several $100 bills in his pocket.
She wrote:
“I could smell the distinct smell of alcohol coming from his mouth.”
Burkard and the other officers eventually led Guzman out of the car and instructed him to sit on a curb.
Burkard further said:
“When I saw you, you were outside the vehicle, in the car, the car was still moving. What’s going on tonight?
When Burkard Guzman asked if he had been drinking, the 29-year-old denied the allegation and replied he just wanted to go home. Later in the video, Burkard can be seen discussing signs that Guzman is drunk.
Burkard is heard telling Guzman:
“Based on my training and experience, you passed out behind the wheel (and it appears you consumed a large quantity of alcohol).”
Burkard offered Guzman to conduct on-site sobriety exercises. However, the deputy official refused to attend. He was then tied up by officers and arrested.
Fox reported that Guzman has been with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office since September 2019. Authorities reported that as a result of the DUI incident, Guzman had initially been suspended from his duties due to an internal investigation. He has now been transferred to an administrative role.
