Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who beat a 2015 DUI rap, to donate blood at Tuesday drive

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The local blood shortage due to the COVID19 state of emergency must be really bad. They’ll take anyone’s blood.

Take, for instance, Miami-Dade Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz — also known as DUI Diaz because of his 2015 arrest in Key West for driving under the influence, even though he was later acquitted. Diaz, whose mugshot is here to the left, will join Hialeah Gardens Mayor Yioset De La Cruz for a blood drive Tuesday. And the two electeds plan to set the example by donating their own blood at 8 a.m.

Maybe that time is a coincidence. Or maybe it’s so Diaz, who was arrested driving his motorcycle 73 MPH in a 30 MPH zone after he failed some roadside sobriety tests — he refused the breath-alcohol test — would only have cafecito in his system.

Diaz, who was later acquitted, admitted to the officer in September 2015 that he had a rum and coke and a glass of champagne earlier that day. He identified himself as a commissioner from Miami-Dade and said that Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay knew him. According to the arresting officers body cam video, he almost dropped the bike and couldn’t even put on the kickstand.

Wearing a shirt from his biker gang the Cartel Baggers — he was there for the Key West Poker Run motorcycle weekend — he tells the officer: Do you what you gotta do. My career is ended. It’s over. Whatever.”

Read related: Jose “Pepe” Diaz will bring up DUI arrest, then say nada

But it wasn’t over. When he sobered up, Diaz and his attorney came up with a perfect defense: An ear infection caused the imbalance. And witnesses testified that he didn’t seem drunk when he took off on his Harley Davidson.

The blood drive is sponsored by Ralph Aleman of Innovative Transfusion Medicine, who got a mention in the county commissioner’s press release. So did the Knights of Malta, who got a special thank you for donating the KN95 masks that will be given to the first 100 blood donors. They’ll get a free bag of food, too! Free food is everywhere (more on that later).

Food and a face mask — one of the good ones — for a little bit of your blood. Not a bad deal, really. Especially since you’ll be helping our community and the health care workers who are working overtime to address the public health crisis.

The blood drive ends at 2 p.m. at Hialeah Gardens City Hall, 10001 NW 87th Ave.