A Pinellas, Florida homicide detective was arrested Thursday after police say he showed up drunk to a crime scene.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Detective George Moffett Jr., 48, was on call Thursday when homicide investigators were requested at the scene of a fatal shooting in St. Petersburg.
Once Moffett arrived in his unmarked police car from his home in Riverview, his fellow officers noticed he had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, and a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage, according to an arrest affidavit.
The report also noted that the detective had a “swaying and unsteady balance.”
Police said Moffett ultimately admitted to having had at least four mixed drinks before coming in to work, specifically Crown Royal Whiskey and ginger ale reports The Tampa Bay Times.
Moffett agreed to a breath sample which confirmed that he was well over the legal limit to drive. Moffett also performed a field sobriety test, which he failed.
Moffett was arrested and charged with one count of Driving Under the Influence. He was then immediately terminated.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Friday:
“To say that it’s disappointing is an understatement. The recipe for disaster was definitely there, and thank God nothing happened.”
Court records show Moffett was convicted of DUI in October 1995.
