Florida police officer 'too inebriated to receive anti-drink driving award'

Internal police documents say officer Michael Szeliga showed up 'ready to party'

Florida police officer 'too inebriated to receive anti-drink driving award' (Facebook)

It did not not quite go according to plan.

A Florida police officer who was due to be honoured for his work confronting drink driving, was apparently too inebriated to collect the award.

The WFLA channel said Michael Szeliga of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department was to be honoured at the Mothers Against Drunk Driving conference in Fort Lauderdale.

But internal police documents obtained by the channel claim he showed up “ready to party” at the two-day Driving under the Influence (DUI) training event.

A 274-page report on the officer’s behaviour indicates he and two other officers went to the hotel pool, where they drank alcohol instead of attending training. Then he returned to his room to get ready for the awards ceremony.

According to the report, Mr Szeliga - who was to be honoured at the July event for making more than 100 DUI arrests - was so intoxicated the police chief from Gulfport, Robert Vincent, suggested Ms Szeliga not go to the event. The deputy then made “disrespectful comments” toward the police chief, who reported the behavior to Ms Szeliga’s boss.

Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent

Mr Szeliga said the training was not necessary because he was being transferred out of the DUI unit. He now works as a detective in the sheriff’s crimes against children unit.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri credited Mr Szeliga with being a good deputy but also expressed his disapproval of what had happened. “It was wrong, and again, one of the most ridiculous things I’ve heard of,” Mr Gualtieri said.

After the incident, Mr Szeliga was reprimanded and was given one day of paid suspension, and was forced to write an apology letter to the supervisors for being belligerent with them, the channel reported.

Mr Szeliga was scheduled to be promoted to detective and his promotion was not affected by the incident at the conference, he now works as a detective in the sheriff’s crimes against children unit, according to WFLA.

Mr Szeliga sent a written letter of apology to Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent.

“I addressed you in a disrespectful manner,” he wrote. “And I displayed a lack of professionalism…..Please accept this letter as my formal apology for my actions. I have learned from this experience and look forward to our interactions in the future.”