Deputy showed up drunk for his shift and was promptly arrested, Florida sheriff says

A Florida sheriff’s deputy is out of a job after he came to work intoxicated, according to investigators.

Joseph Everett, 27, resigned after he was “arrested for DUI while on duty,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

It’s suspected he was intoxicated from alcohol consumed the night before, officials said.

“The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested a deputy sheriff who showed up for duty on Saturday morning, June 22, 2024, and exhibited signs of being intoxicated,” officials said.

A supervisor “noticed the odor of an alcoholic beverage” and suspected the deputy might be intoxicated, officials said.

“Everett admitted that he consumed about three coffee mugs of whiskey Friday night,” officials said. “A Standardized Field Sobriety Test was administered to Everett and he exhibited numerous signs of obvious impairment.”

He had been a deputy with the department for two years, officials said.

“Anytime someone chooses to drive under the influence of alcohol, it shows a lack of good judgment,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a release.

“If you lack the proper judgment when it comes to drinking and driving, you have no business working in law enforcement. We hold our deputies to a higher standard.”

Polk County is southwest of Orlando.

This story was originally published June 25, 2024 at 4:18 AM with the headline "Deputy showed up drunk for his shift and was promptly arrested, Florida sheriff says."