Former Orlando police officer charged with DUI

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A former officer with the Orlando Police Department is in hot water after being arrested for driving under the influence.

In an arrest report, Ben Gauntlett told the Orange County deputy who pulled him over that he had been at a birthday party and then had three drinks at a bar on Church Street in Downtown Orlando.  When they tested him, officers said his blood alcohol level was nearly three time higher than the legal limit.

Gauntlett, 26, had been named "Officer of the Year" in 2015.  He was honored for "selfless" actions, saving a man's life near Lake Eola and disarming another man on Pine Street. 

The arrest report states that deputies pulled over a shirtless Gauntlett, with bloodshot eyes. Deputies found empty beers and a loaded gun in his Ford F-150 truck.

Gauntlett was released on $500 bond.  He is due in court in two weeks.