A 37-year-old Michigan man living in Winter Haven is facing multiple charges after deputies say he crashed a gray Mazda while heavily intoxicated, tried to flee on foot, and then threatened to kick out the windows of the patrol car taking him to jail. Jose Zavala allegedly struck a curb and ran down a residential mailbox before scuffling with the deputies who responded to a bystander's call about an erratic driver.
According to a video briefing from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, a caller warned dispatch that someone needed to respond before the driver killed himself or someone else. As reported by Tampa Free Press, Zavala allegedly veered off the roadway, struck a mailbox, and continued driving without stopping before his vehicle finally hit a curb and became disabled.
Deputy Says Zavala Refused Orders, Then Turned Physical
Once deputies caught up to the damaged Mazda, one instructed Zavala to remain inside the vehicle, but he refused the order and attempted to flee on foot, per the outlet's report. Zavala then physically resisted the deputy and, according to Sheriff Grady Judd, intended to assault the arresting deputy once his handcuffs were removed. Judd said deputies fought back and eventually got him handcuffed, with additional deputies dispatched to help subdue him.
Sheriff Judd identified the suspect as Jose Zavala in the same briefing. The sheriff's account describes deputies securing Zavala with a rip-hobble restraint — a nylon strap that binds an arrestee's legs to prevent kicking — after he threatened to kick out the patrol vehicle's windows on the way to the Polk County Jail.
What Happens Once Inside The Jail
Zavala verbally threatened the arresting deputy during the encounter, the sheriff's office said, but he offered no further physical resistance once he arrived at the jail, where Judd said a “welcoming party” of detention deputies helped keep things calm. He reportedly cooperated through the remainder of the driving-under-the-influence investigation after that point, and he declined to provide a breath sample for a breathalyzer test.
That refusal carries its own legal weight under Florida's so-called Trenton's Law, which took effect in October 2025. A first refusal to submit to a breath or urine test after a DUI arrest is now a standalone second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, on top of an automatic one-year administrative license suspension, according to the Law Office of James P. Kelly, P.A. Before that law took effect, a first breath test refusal in Florida was strictly a civil administrative matter.
Felony Exposure For Resisting And Threatening Deputies
The physical resistance alone exposes Zavala to serious felony charges. Under Florida Statute § 843.01, knowingly resisting, obstructing, or opposing a law enforcement officer with violence is a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine, per The Florida Senate. Prosecutors must establish the deputy was actively performing a lawful duty at the time.
His threat toward the arresting deputy carries separate exposure. Threatening unlawful harm to a public servant with intent to intimidate or influence official actions is also a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years, while actual harm would elevate the charge to a second-degree felony with up to 15 years, according to Florida statute. A background check turned up prior criminal arrests for Zavala in Michigan, including charges related to robbery, narcotics, and firearms offenses, per the background check cited in the report.
A Familiar Pattern On Polk County Roads
Impaired and combative drivers have kept Polk County deputies busy this year. Hoodline reported in June that a Tampa driver reached 97 mph on State Road 60 before crashing and resisting arrest in Lake Wales, and in April 2025 a Lake Wales man was charged with DUI causing death and vehicular homicide after a fatal head-on crash on the same stretch of highway in Winter Haven. Earlier this month, a Lakeland woman with a history of resisting officers was booked into the same jail after methamphetamine allegedly fell from her clothing during processing.
The broader risk on Polk County roads is well documented. A 2026 traffic safety study ranked the county ninth in Florida for drunk-driving fatality rates, recording an average of 6.11 alcohol-related traffic deaths per 100,000 residents annually, according to RHINO Lawyers. Traffic enforcement across the county is jointly handled by local authorities and the Florida Highway Patrol's Troop C Lakeland District, which deploys more than 200 troopers and a specialized DUI squad in the region.
Zavala faces multiple charges stemming from the crash, his alleged resistance, and the threats made to the arresting deputy, though the exact charges filed by prosecutors were not detailed in the sheriff's account. As with any pending case, the allegations against him remain unproven in court.
