Christopher Scott Odum decided to take a dangerous approach to avoiding a possible Tampa DUI charge. The 37-year-old allegedly tried to run a deputy off the road in hopes of escaping a drunk driving arrest. The plan didn’t work and all it really did was result in more charges and luckily none of them included an injury or a death.
Odum was first seen by a sheriff’s deputy driving around 1:00 a.m. in a red pickup. The Hillsborough County deputy was obviously investigating Odum because the man decided to swerve his Toyota into the path of the sheriff’s vehicle. The deputy had to cross the median to avoid being hit. The deputy was able to locate Odum and eventually pull him over.
When the deputy finally had Odum stopped at Ambassador Loop and N Boulevard, he reported signs og impairment including smelling alcohol on the man. Odum was asked to perform field sobriety tests but declined. At that point he was placed under arrest for a DUI charge and taken to Hillsborough County jail.
Odum, who refused field sobriety tests, reportedly agreed to breath tests at the jail. His blood-alcohol level was recorded at 0.284 and 0.294. Those levels, if accurate, are well over three-times the legal limit in Florida. Odum’s breath test results were enough to warrant a DUI charge but his antics before the arrest resulted in additional charges. On top of driving under the influence, he was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and fleeing to elude arrest. Aggravated assault is a felony charge which can carry a prison sentence of up to five years. He was being held on $10,000 bail and there was no mention if he had retained a Tampa DUI lawyer at this point.
