Florida corrections officer accused of DUI

DUNEDIN, Fla. — An officer with the Florida Department of Corrections is accused of driving under the influence, authorities said.

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According to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Melissa Ann Stachelsky, 35, was arrested Thursday morning and charged with one count of DUI.

Deputies responded at approximately 2:30 a.m. EDT in Dunedin after receiving a call about disorderly conduct, the Tampa Bay Times reported. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies found Stachelsky sitting in her black 2022 Dodge Charger parked along the side of a road with its engine running and hazard lights flashing.

As deputies approached the vehicle, Stachelsky allegedly held her Florida Department of Corrections badge and identification out of the window, WTSP-TV reported. She was off-duty at the time of the incident.

Stachelsky agreed to perform field sobriety tests, “but performed poorly on them,” the sheriff’s office said. Deputies said her breath sample indicated she had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.127. In Florida, the legal limit is 0.08.

Stachelsky was arrested and taken to the Pinellas County Jail without incident, the sheriff’s office said. She was released on her own recognizance, according to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.

An investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said.