A Riviera Beach police officer is facing DUI charges after deputies say he drove the wrong way on a Palm Beach County road Monday night, blew breath-test readings more than twice the legal limit and wound up in handcuffs instead of on patrol.
Deputies responded to a reckless-driver call in the Loxahatchee Groves area and stopped the vehicle, then detained the driver at the scene. He was taken into custody and booked on DUI-related counts.
According to an arrest report detailed by WPBF, deputies pulled the car over near East Edinburgh Drive on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road. The report identifies the driver as Mikhail Jermaine Hanson, who told deputies he had been drinking at a party. Hanson reportedly said, "we are on the same team. I work for the Riviera Beach Police Department road patrol," and did not immediately comply with commands.
Deputies say they found an open bottle of Hennessy inside the vehicle, and booking records list breath-test readings of 0.216 and 0.222, more than double Florida's 0.08 legal limit, according to Palm Beach Public Records. Those records show he was booked on DUI and related counts tied to the stop.
Charges and court date
Hanson was charged with DUI, failure to obey a law enforcement officer and resisting or obstructing an officer without violence. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 20, 2026, in Delray Beach, according to WPBF.
Local context
The arrest comes on the heels of another DUI case involving the Riviera Beach Police Department. A department major was arrested and placed on administrative leave in September 2025, as reported by WLRN. That earlier case led to internal discipline and added public scrutiny for the agency.
What the law says
Florida Statute §316.193 makes it a crime to operate a vehicle with a blood or breath alcohol level of 0.08 or higher and sets out tougher penalties when readings reach 0.15 or above. The law outlines fines, potential jail time and ignition-interlock requirements for DUI convictions, according to the Florida Statutes.
Hanson is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. This story will be updated if the city or the courts release additional information.
