Officials terminated a Pinellas County, Florida deputy and another Thurston County Corrections facility deputy from their jobs due to allegations that they had been drinking alcohol while driving in two different locations.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 17: Washington Metropolitan Police Department conduct an investigation at the scene of a shooting outside the Third Base Gate of Nationals Park on July 17, 2021 in Washington, DC. At least two people were shot outside the baseball park during the Nationals game against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
2 Deputies Fired From Job Because of Alcohol Intoxication While Driving: Florida Edition
Christopher Dewayne Cook, a 33-year-old deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, displayed symptoms of intoxication after side-swiping another car on I-275 close to Fletcher Avenue at about 9:30 p.m. on February 4.
Cook was accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing property damage. His bail is worth $500, which he paid the next day.
However, he had problems recalling the events leading up to the automobile collision. Investigators noted that his breath and clothes also reeked of alcohol.
CNBC affiliate WFLA said Cook failed his field sobriety test and declined to submit to a breathalyzer test.
Fox News, citing its television news affiliate WTVT, said Cook was eventually transferred to the Hillsborough County prison on Orient Road.
After his arrest, he was dismissed right away.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said Cook worked as a deputy in the patrol operations bureau after being recruited in September 2014.
ALSO READ: Texas Liquor Stores Will Be Shut Down For 61 Hours- Beginning On New Year’s Eve
Another DUI Official Found
Another officer at the Thurston County Corrections Center was discharged earlier this month following an arrest for drunk driving last year.
In a statement from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (via The Chronicle), Washington State Patrol officials detained the officer for drunk driving in the Olympia region last year. He agreed to a plea bargain for first-degree careless driving, a misdemeanor.
The press statement states that an internal inquiry was finished in 2022. Still, the departing Sheriff John Snaza’s administration deferred to the new Sheriff Derek Sanders in making the punitive choice. Then it was decided that there was still strong evidence that the individual had engaged in drunk driving.
The deputy’s name was kept confidential. According to the press statement, the Sheriff’s Office hopes that this incident will be seen as a teaching moment and wishes the officer all the best.
RELATED ARTICLE: Police Discover Illegal Nightclub; Drug Operation At Miami-Dade Restaurant- Leading To 11 Arrests
