Detention deputy faces DUI charge

For Steve Sestokas, a detention deputy at the Falkenburg Road Jail, Friday night out at a New Port Richey bar turned sour when he reached for an iPod that fell off the seat of his 2004 maroon Dodge Ram, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.

Sestokas, 33, was driving on State Road 54 near Mitchell Branch Road. He later told deputies that when reached down to recover the iPod, the Dodge swerved off the road, according to a report. It hit a guard rail and came to a stop, where a passing Pasco deputy said he saw the pickup.

For Sestokas, who has been with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office since last February, things went south from there, Pasco deputies say.

According to a report:

A Pasco deputy pulled up behind Sestokas and flashed his emergency lights. Then the deputy got out of his car and walked over to Sestokas.

The driver's side window was down.

The deputy looked in and saw Sestokas turning the steering wheel back and forth. He had a blank stare and continued gripping the wheel tightly.

The pickup's cab had a "very strong" odor of alcohol. The deputy identified himself and asked if Sestokas was alright. Sestokas stared at him blankly, then floored the gas pedal. He kept his foot on the pedal for about 15 seconds as the deputy yelled at him to stop.

As Sestokas kept gunning the engine, the deputy tried to open the door, which was locked. Sestokas then shifted the gears, rocking the pickup back and forth as he continued to gun the engine. The deputy reached in through the open driver's window and tried to unlock the door, but Sestokas pushed his hand away.

The deputy yelled at him to "stop resisting" and put the truck in park, but Sestokas continued flooring the gas pedal.

Eventually, the deputy was able to unlock the door. He tried to reach in, put the truck in park and pull the keys out of the ignition, but Sestokas continued to push him away. Finally, the deputy pushed Sestokas to the passenger's side of the cab, put the pickup in park and removed the key from the ignition.

The deputy ordered Sestokas out of the pickup.

He refused and began to brace himself inside the cab. Then Sestokas began looking around for something.

The deputy, fearing that Sestokas might be reaching for a weapon, backed up, drew his Taser and pointed it at Sestokas, all the while yelling for him to get out of the truck and get down on the ground.

Sestokas again refused to obey, so the deputy grabbed him and forced him to the ground.

The deputy tried to handcuff Sestokas. He continued to resist.

Eventually, the deputy was able to cuff Sestokas. As he did, a Florida Highway Patrol officer arrived on the scene and investigated the accident.

Sestokas was placed under arrest for resisting an officer without violence and taken to the Land 'O Lakes jail. After being read his Miranda rights, Sestokas told the deputy he wanted to talk.

He said he was at Molly Malone's, where he drank six Amber Bock beers over a two-hour period before driving home.

Sestokas was then asked to perform several field sobriety tests. He failed them all and was charged with DUI. He voluntarily submitted to a breath test, which found that he had blood alcohol contents of .121 and .124. In Florida, a driver is assumed to be impaired with a BAC of .08 or higher. He was released from jail on a $150 bond.

When reached via cell phone, Sestokas refused comment. Typically, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office employee would be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, said spokeswoman Debbie Carter, who had no direct knowledge of what would happen with Sestokas.