LAKELAND, FL — An Ohio man was arrested on September 1, 2025, after allegedly driving without a license, driving over 100 mph, and attempting to bribe a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officer following a traffic stop on I-4 Eastbound in Polk County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol incident report, Trooper Corporal Matthew P. Lee initiated a stop near mile marker 38 in Lakeland at approximately 2:27 p.m. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Joshua David Bradley of Cleveland, Ohio, was pulled over after being observed committing multiple traffic violations.
Bradley allegedly admitted he did not have a driver’s license and showed signs of impairment, including “watery, glassy eyes” and “white foaming at the edge of each side of his mouth,” FHP reported.
It should be noted that this is an unedited report of facts by the Florida Highway Patrol. These facts are up for question and everyone is entitled to question the validity of facts by law enforcement in a court of law. Daily Ridge does not rewrite these facts as some meanings or interpretations could be in error and change context. We hope readers appreciate being able to read the information and come to your own conclusion.
“On September 1, 2025, at approximately 2:00 P.M., I Corporal Matthew Lee was running stationary radar eastbound on Interstate 4 in the paved emergency turn around at mile marker 35 when I observed a grey sedan traveling at an extremely high rate of speed. I visually estimated the vehicle to be traveling at 100 Miles Per Hour (MPH) in a posted 70 MPH Zone. I activated my Stalker DSR 2X Radar. The audio doppler tone for the Stalker Duel DSR 2X was steady and consistent. The grey sedan entered my front mounted radar head at 100 MPH. The grey sedan then entered my rear mounted radar head at 100 MPH.
I conducted a traffic stop on the grey sedan on Interstate 4 eastbound at exit 38. I made contact with the driver of the grey sedan and identified him as Mr. Joshua David Bradley, Date of Birth 8/31/1995, by his name and date of birth from a photograph of his passport. Mr. Bradley stated that he did not have a driver’s license. While talking with Mr. Bradley I could immediately detect that Mr. Bradley had water, glassy eyes along with white foaming at the edge of each side of his mouth.
I had the Tampa Bay Regional Communications Center (TBRCC) query Mr. Bradley through all 50 states to see if he had a valid drivers license. While I was waiting for the TBRCC to locate whether or not Mr. Bradley had a valid driver’s license, he stuck a glass bottle with sand out the driver’s window. Mr. Bradley then exited the vehicle on his own and placed the glass bottle with sand on the ground next to the driver’s door. At this time, the TBRCC stated that Mr. Bradley only had a valid identification card. I ordered Mr. Bradley to stand by the rear of his vehicle. I then placed Mr. Bradley under arrest for super law and driving without a license and bribery of a law enforcement officer.
I placed Mr. Bradley in the back of my marked assigned patrol vehicle. While in the back of my patrol vehicle, Mr. Bradley attempted to bribe me to let him go and that his girlfriend would drive them back to their Airbnb. He stated that ‘he would pay whatever he needed to pay’ to let him leave. While in the back of my patrol car talking to his girlfriend, he made spontaneous utterances that he was speeding. He also stated that ‘he fucked up’. As his conversation with his girlfriend continued, he stated that ‘he fucked up, he should have been driving so fast’. He kept telling his girlfriend that ‘he was sorry’. Due to the signs of impairment that Mr. Bradley was showing, I requested that he perform Standardized Field Sobriety Exercise (SFSE). Mr. Bradley agreed to perform the SFSE.
I transported Mr. Bradley to the 711, located at 7247 Bridgewater Center Drive, Lakeland FL 33805. I read Mr. Bradley his Miranda Warnings and he stated that he would be willing to talk to me. Mr. Bradley agreed to perform the SFSE’s.
I explained the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus exercise to Mr. Bradley. I had Mr. Bradley perform the exercise and he performed poorly. Mr. Bradley had all six indicators on Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus. The six indicators were Lack of Smooth Pursuit in both the left and right eyes, Distinct and Sustained Nystagmus at Max Deviation in both the left and right eyes, and Onset of Nystagmus prior to 45 Degrees in both the left and right eyes. I had to tell Mr. Bradley to keep following the stimulus with his eyes. During the vertical gaze nystagmus portion of the exercise, Mr. Bradley stated that his eyes were dry and that he needed to blink.
I then explained and demonstrated the Walk and Turn exercise to Mr. Bradley. I then had Mr. Bradley perform the exercise and he did poorly. During the instructional phase of the exercise, Mr. Bradley had trouble keeping his balance, he kept leaning over to the side as if he was going to fall over. Mr. Bradley had four Indicators on the Walk and Turn exercise. The four indicators were incorrect number of steps, stopped while walking, misses heel to toe, and steps off line. Mr. Bradley took 10 steps out, and 8 steps back. When Mr. Bradley would miss heel to toe, he would slide his foot back so the heel of his front foot would touch the toes of the rear foot. During the exercise, Mr. Bradley failed to count out loud in English. Mr. Bradley stated that he decided to count out loud in other languages.
I explained and demonstrated the One Leg Stand exercise to Mr. Bradley. I then had Mr. Bradley perform the exercise and he did poorly. Mr. Bradley had two indicators, uses arms for balance and sways. Prior to beginning the exercise, Mr. Bradley was asked if he understood the instructions and he stated that he did. When I told Mr. Bradley to begin the exercise, he asked if he lifted his knee up or kept it straight. I told Mr. Bradley again that he needed to lift his leg approximately 6 inches off the ground with his legs straight. Mr. Bradley decided that he wanted to complete the exercise with his leg at a 90 degree angle instead of the prescribed 6 inches.
I explained the modified Romberg exercise to Mr. Bradley. I then had Mr. Bradley perform the exercise and he did poorly. Mr. Bradley had three indicators, which were eyes don’t remain closed, eye lid tremors, eyes did not remain closed.
Based on Mr. Bradley’s performance on the SFSE’s he was also placed under arrest for DUI.
I requested a lawful test of Mr. Bradley’s breath which he refused. At this point, Mr. Bradley decided that he wanted to sit and that pavement. I then read Mr. Bradley Implied Consent which he still denied providing a breath sample. Polk County Deputy Janiak, ID number 9829 was also on scene and had a breath test machine in his assigned Polk County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle. Mr. Bradley was given an opportunity to provide a breath sample in the breath test machine in Deputy Janiak’s patrol vehicle. While waiting for the 20-minute observation period to end, Mr. Bradley stated multiple times that he would provide sexual favors in order to be allowed to leave and not get arrested. While waiting for the 20-minute observation period to finish, Mr. Bradley kept kneeling on his knees for unknowns reasons. At one point he stated that his knees were hurting him. I instructed him to stand up then and asked him why he was kneeling on the ground in the first place. Mr. Bradley stated that “he wanted to show that he would obey”. After the 20-minute observation was completed, Mr. Bradley was given an opportunity to provide a breath sample. Mr. Bradley refused to provide a breath sample and the machine timed out stating no breath sample was provided in the allotted time. For the second sample, I gave Mr. Bradley an opportunity to provide a breath sample but he again refused. At this time, I pressed the “R” button to record the refusal.
Mr. Bradley was then placed back into my assigned patrol vehicle and transported to the Polk County Jail. While on the way to the jail, Mr. Bradley became extremely agitated, started yelling, screaming and saying racist comments. When I arrived at the jail, I requested that the Polk County Sheriff”s Office have some of their detention deputies meet in the sally port to assist me in taking Mr. Bradley inside of their facility.
All events occurred in Polk County Florida.”
