PALM BAY, Fla. – An off-duty police sergeant with the Melbourne Orlando International Airport is out of a job and faces DUI charges after being involved in a crash in his law enforcement vehicle on Tuesday before driving away, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Palm Bay police said that around 2:30 p.m. they received a call about a vehicle crash in the area of Malabar Road Northeast and Babcock Street Northeast. The caller stated that a vehicle rear ended her and then drove off, but that she was able to take down the license plate number.
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According to the affidavit, officers met with the victim and two witnesses who all said that they believed the driver of the 2017 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor was “intoxicated.”
One witness told police that the driver, later identified as 48-year-old Patrick White, fumbled with the vehicle’s controls and rolled down the wrong window after being approached.
The caller reported the police vehicle was swerving while behind them and nearly crashing into another vehicle before rear ending her, causing property damage.
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According to the affidavit, the caller and witnesses approached White and recorded video of him as they “told him to stop and it would be a hit and run,” but he was captured on camera ignoring them and driving away.
Palm Bay police said they were able to identify White from the video and that the vehicle was reported to belong to a local police agency.
Police later located the vehicle parked in a parking lot on Babcock Street about two hours after the crash, according to the affidavit. Officers said White opened and closed the door of the vehicle before driving off.
“An investigative stop was initiated and the defendant drove for a distance before stopping,” the affidavit reads.
Police said White was directed out of the vehicle due to officer safety concerns.
According to the affidavit, White stumbled as he exited the vehicle and “he appeared to have urinated himself.” It was also noted that while talking to officers, White had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
Officers said after they notified White of a DUI investigation, he admitted that he had “been drinking a lot, recalled being in a crash, and ultimately admitted he was drunk.”
According to the affidavit, White’s eyes were bloodshot and glossy, his speech slurred, his responses were slow and he continued to stumble.
Police said White stopped prematurely during a field sobriety test, declined to continue and indicated he was drunk.
White was placed under arrest, according to the affidavit and faces charges of DUI, DUI with property damage and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.
He later provided two breath samples that came back as .304 and .305. The legal limit is .08 in Florida.
A spokesperson with the Melbourne Orlando International Airport said that White was employed at the time of the incident, but that he was in a probationary status due to being a new hire, working there for less than three weeks.
The spokesperson also stated that they were “aware of an incident that took place on May 13, 2025″ and that White “ is no longer employed by the Melbourne Orlando International Airport.”
According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, White retired from their agency about two years ago.