Miami/Dade cop fled at over 100 mph, Keys deputies say. He’s now arrested on a DUI charge

Miami-Dade police officer Donovan William Rojas was arrested in the Florida Keys for driving under the influence and fleeing from deputies in the early morning of Sunday, June 12, 2022. Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Florida Keys sheriff’s deputies arrested an off-duty Miami-Dade County police officer who they say was speeding and swerving in different lanes on U.S. 1 early Sunday morning. The officer was charged with driving while intoxicated in addition to fleeing and eluding.

Donovan William Rojas, 26, was driving his unmarked Miami-Dade County-issued Chrysler 300 at speeds of more than 110 mph around 3:57 a.m. for about three miles before he stopped for several pursuing Monroe County deputies in Key Largo, according to the sheriff’s office.

Rojas had trouble maintaining his lane along U.S. 1 before finally pulling over at mile marker 105, said sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt.

“The driver, Rojas, identified himself as a member of the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Chrysler as his unmarked agency vehicle,”

Linhardt said in a statement. “Once Rojas’ vehicle was stopped, deputies observed emergency lights activated on the visor of the Chrysler. The emergency lights were only visible from the windshield of the unmarked vehicle. Deputies did not see the emergency lights during the pursuit.”

Deputy Casey Matthews wrote in a police report released Monday that when Rojas exited his car, he exclaimed, “I’m a cop. I’m a Miami-Dade cop!” According to the report, Rojas had an “overpowering odor” of alcohol, difficulty standing and slurred speech.

He also refused to perform field sobriety exercises and to blow for an alcohol breath test. Rojas was booked into county jail at 5:24 a.m. and released shortly before noon. His first scheduled court date is June 28. Attorney information for Rojas wasn’t available as of Sunday night.

Deputies found two Glock handguns, a Miami-Dade police ID and badge and a police-department-issued body-worn camera inside the car, according to the arrest report.

Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay thanked his deputies for “acting quickly in this case.” “Though this suspect’s behavior put his life, innocent civilian lives, and the lives of my officers in danger, I view this as a singular case and not indicative of the Miami-Dade Police Department as a whole,” he said Sunday in a statement.

Rojas, who has worked with Miami-Dade police since 2016, has been relieved of his duties without pay, Interim Director George A. Perez said in a statement. “Any suspect that puts the community’s lives and officers’ lives at risk is unacceptable!” he said. “The MDPD will not tolerate this behavior as it is not aligned with our commitment to the community and its sacred trust.”

https://www.flkeysnews.com/news/local/article262445312.html#storylink=cpy

Well at least he's bald with a beard cool!

Looks more like an inmate than a cop.

In a lot of cases the only difference is which side of the badge they are on! Not all, but quite a few.

What do ya expect, that's right on the edge of Deflaveville FL.

That's where most the irregulars and oddities get sent, it's like the isle of misfit toys.

Funny chitt. Used to live less than a mile from where he pulled over.

Everyone makes mistakes.

A lot of death happens on that road between Key Largo and Miami.

All a mistake, he was working undercover with Davey Crockett and Ernest Tubb

He would likely have been given a lecture and a pass if he hadn't fled like that.
In some departments the scum rises to the top until they get stirred up in a mess they can't get out of.

Speaking of scum.

Gulfport, Ms. 20+ years ago, cop awarded for giving the most DUI tickets, was pissdrunk entering New Orleans on I-10.

Louisiana sheriff or highway patrolman was at an accident site, for some reason standing at the back of his car when Gulfport cop crashed into him cutting off both of La. cops legs. Other cops threw him into a car - raced him to the hospital and he lived.
Gulfport cop arrested DUI ++, kept his job in Gulfport.

Interesting Dan. What'd you do there? How does one make a living in the Keys?

Damn, he fuucked up

No sheit

I read the article but can’t figure out what he did wrong.

A (very married) guy I used to work with was getting off shift at 10PM and decided to take a ride with one of the bimbos that hung out in the station house parking lot at shift change.
At a beach, he left his keys in the car, and they both left their clothes on a bench, taking only a bottle and a blanket down by the water.
A while later, they decided to go somewhere else, only to find that someone had taken their clothes (wallet, ID) from the bench. No problem for our hero, he's got spare clothes at the station house and it's only a 20 minute drive. So they hop in the car naked as jaybirds, and head south on I95. And they're still hitting from the bottle.

Flat tire.

Our boy decides he can limp on the flat to the station house only 15 or so miles away. Then, still hitting the bottle he decides that the faster he gets this over with the better, so he's on I95 with a flat tire, drunk, and doing around 55MPH.
The tire shucks completely and he's running on the rim. He's leaving a shower of sparks that looks like a rescue flare, but he knows he can make it.

When a trooper got him stopped, the rim was gone and he was well into the hub. As the trooper approaches his window, he announces, "I'm a cop"...

Was a cop.
Was married...

“Rojas had trouble maintaining his lane along U.S. 1 before finally pulling over at mile marker 105, said sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt.”

You don't know Flave very well, do ya? 😁

No but I doubt he would have given up an pulled over, figured he would do something cool like drive off the end of a pier and start swimming for Cuba.

Dumbass, the article clearly spells out that he pulled over.

Does he lose his right to carry a gun? When I got a carry permit in 2010 they check to see if you've had a dui, domestic violence, and so forth. We've got constitutional carry in TN now so I'm not sure how this plays out

He's a cop, it'll get negotiated down to a careless driving charge.