A Phoenix police officer has been charged with DUI and failure to obey an officer following a incident that took place January 3.

At about 10:30 a.m. on January 3, a Gilbert police officer found Seth Samuel Castillo of the Phoenix Police Department slumped over the passenger seat, unconscious behind the wheel of this jeep. The Gilbert officer made several attempts to rouse Castillo but to no avail. Once Castillo woke up, the officer ordered him to step out of the car and place his hands on the hood of the vehicle.

In his report the officer said Castillo made a motion like he was reaching for something around his wasit, instead of putting them on the vehicle. Fearing that Castillo was reaching for a weapon and unaware that he was a police officer, the officer tasered Castillo. It wasn’t until Castillo had fallen to the ground that he told the officer he was an off-duty Phoenix police officer.

Castillo eventually admitted that he had consumed two 24-ounce beers and took Ritalin, a prescription drug. Lab results indicated Castillo’s blood alcohol concentration at the time of the incident was .172, more than twice the legal limit.

Despite his charges—one for DUI and one for failure to obey an officer—Castillo is still on active duty while both the criminal and internal investigations are underway.

With years of experience in Arizona DUI law, the Knowles Law Firm has the knowledge, resources, and practice to provide any client with effective DUI defense representation. If you need help fighting your DUI charges, you can trust a skilled Phoenix DUI lawyer at the Knowles Law Firm to protect your interests and aggressively defend your case at both the MVD hearing and in criminal court.