Off-Duty St. Pete Police Sergeant Arrested For DUI

An off-duty St. Petersburg Police sergeant was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in the course of a county-wide wolfpack operation last week.

Pinellas County deputies say one of their number observed the officer in his personal vehicle in the early-morning hours of December 22 driving near 4th Street South near 11th Avenue South. Per the arresting deputy, the sergeant was driving erratically and unable to maintain a single lane immediately prior to being stopped.

Upon approaching the sergeant’s vehicle, the arresting officer noted the smell of alcoholic drink on his breath. The deputy said the sergeant’s eyes were blood-shot and glassy, and he did not perform well when given a field sobriety test. Per the deputy, the sergeant admitted to drinking alcohol prior to driving, but refused to supply a sample for a blood-alcohol test.

The sergeant was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail. He was released on his own recognizance shortly after being charged with DUI. The sergeant, who has been a police officer since 2003, was placed on administrative duty until the conclusion of criminal proceedings against him. He will also be subject to an internal investigation by the police department as well.

The sergeant was one of almost two dozen people arrested for drunk driving that evening, the result of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s crackdown on drunk driving.

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