Florida deputy arrested, accused of street racing: 'I wanted to impress her'

ORLANDO, Fla. - An Orange County sheriff’s deputy found himself on the other side of the law Wednesday, because of what police described as "blatant disregard" of traffic laws.

According to an arrest report, a St. Cloud police officer witnessed Deputy Brian Espinal and another biker racing near 13th Street and Crawford Avenue. The officer turned his lights on to get them to pull over but only Espinal and his female passenger did. The other driver took off.

"I got you. I’m a deputy," Espinal can be heard telling the officer in a newly released body-camera video when the officer requested he remove the key to his motorcycle.

Police said Espinal, 27, was going nearly 90 mph, about double the speed limit for the area while weaving in and out of traffic. He told officers he was going on a date night.

"I just got the bike not too long ago, and I wanted to impress her. It's really bad. I don't speed at all," he told officers.

Espinal denied he was racing the other biker and that they were only admiring each other’s motorcycles, but officers dispute that.

"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]," an officer wrote in the report.

Espinal was arrested and charged with reckless driving and street racing. A spokesperson with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said he's been with the department since 2019 and worked in the uniformed patrol division.

"He has been relieved of all law enforcement duties and reassigned to administrative duties while the criminal case is underway," the spokesperson said. 

Espinal was hired by the Orange County Sheriff's Office in September 2019.