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Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.
PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Carrie Horstman, Brian Bruchey, and Julianna Rivera. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.
Sep 18, 2026
Lake Wales man arrested for DUI four months after a DUI arrest; charged with felonies
Media Contact: Carrie E Horstman
On Thursday, September 17, 2026, a PCSO deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop in Waverly on a Jeep that he observed swerving in the southbound lanes of U.S. Hwy 27, and after a check of the registered vehicle's owner revealed a suspended license due to previous DUI arrests.
As the deputy approached the driver, 76-year-old Charles Ducking of Lake Wales, he detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage, and noticed that Ducking had slurred speech and watery eyes.
When the deputy asked Ducking for his driver's license, Ducking responded, "Well, I can't show you my driver's license cuz it's suspended cuz DUI. And I have been drinking a little bit right now." Ducking then showed the deputy a silver thermal cup containing a brown liquid and stated, "This here is my rum I'm drinking."
A traffic deputy responded to the scene to conduct a DUI investigation, and immediately recognized Ducking from his previous DUI arrest in May. During a search of the vehicle, deputies found a small orange container with cocaine inside of it. Ducking told deputies that he had just "done a line" of cocaine 10 minutes prior.
Ducking displayed several indicators of impairment during field sobriety tests, and his breath alcohol content measured at .094 and .095 (.08 or higher is considered legally impaired).
Ducking was arrested in Lake Wales by PCSO deputies on May 22, 2026, and charged with DUI. During that investigation, his breath alcohol content was .106 and .102. He was released from jail on May 25th after posting $250.00 bond, with the conditions that he not possess or consume any alcohol. He has nine other arrests in Polk County dating back to 2001 (which was for DUI). He was also arrested in Gadsden County in 2016 for DUI.
Ducking was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with:
• DUI 4th or subsequent offense (F3)
• Possession of cocaine (F3)
• Driving while license suspended (M2)
• Possession of paraphernalia (M1)
"While we appreciate Charles Ducking's cooperation during the traffic stop, the fact of the matter is, he is lucky he hasn't yet killed someone or himself while driving drunk and high on drugs. He has tempted fate too many times, and he needs to make some serious changes in his life before it's too late. I am proud of my deputies for their proactive patrolling to find impaired drivers and get them off the road." - Grady Judd, Sheriff