Deputy brandished gun at Santa Clara drive-through, officials say

Benjamin Lee, 33, was arrested on Sunday January 10, 2016 for suspicion of driving under the influence and brandishing a firearm. Benjamin Lee, 33, was arrested on Sunday January 10, 2016 for suspicion of driving under the influence and brandishing a firearm. Photo: Santa Clara Police Dept. Photo: Santa Clara Police Dept. Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Deputy brandished gun at Santa Clara drive-through, officials say 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy who allegedly brandished a firearm while drunkenly ordering food at a Jack in the Box drive-through is on administrative leave, officials said Tuesday.

Benjamin Lee, 33, was arrested shortly after 2:40 a.m. Sunday by Santa Clara police officers, according to Lt. Kurt Clarke. He was booked at the Santa Clara County main jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and brandishing a firearm, officials said. Authorities said Lee was off duty when the incident occurred.

Santa Clara County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association officials released a statement saying they were “saddened” by Lee’s arrest but cautioned against rushing to judgment.

“This is a reminder that a deputy sheriff or police officer is a human like anyone else and suffers the same frailties,” said association vice president Roger Winslow in an interview Tuesday. “But luckily this is not something that happens on a regular basis”

The arrest is the latest in a series of accusations faced by the sheriff’s office in recent months.

The department saw three in-custody deaths in 33 days in 2015, which included the beating death of a mentally ill inmate. In October, a correctional deputy was arrested for allegedly accessing confidential records of people with whom he had relationships. Another deputy was arrested on suspicion of workers’ compensation fraud.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov