Deputy Charged With Boating Under The Influence: Hillsborough Sheriff

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — A deputy with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was arrested Saturday night for boating under the influence, authorities said.

A Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officer stopped a boat after seeing it operating without its navigational lights displayed, just before 10 p.m., according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

The officer found Clinton Ormsbee, 52, driving the boat while impaired the agency said.

He was taken into custody and refused to provide a breath sample.

"I am extremely disappointed by the actions of this deputy. Driving or boating under the influence is unacceptable, especially for someone entrusted with upholding the law," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "His reckless behavior not only endangered his own life but also posed a severe threat to the safety of innocent individuals."

Ormsbee, who was booked into the Orient Road Jail, has worked for the sheriff’s office for 15 years. He’s assigned to the Court Operations Division.

He is currently on administrative leave without pay pending the results of an internal affairs investigation, HCSO said.