Detective Fired; Deputies Say He Was Drunk At Shooting Scene

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has fired one of its detectives after deputies said he showed up at the scene of a fatal shooting drunk.

On Thursday, Jan. 3, Pinellas Sheriff's deputies responded to a shooting at 10610 Gandy Blvd. in St. Petersburg. The victim was pronounced dead and patrol deputies requested homicide detectives respond to the scene.

Detective George Moffett Jr., 48, a member of the Homicide Unit, was off duty and responded to the scene from his home in Riverview in an unmarked sheriff's vehicle.

When Moffett drove up and got out of his car, deputies saw that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. They said Moffett had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech and the distinct odor of alcohol.

Moffett admitted to having several drinks of Crown Royal before responding to the homicide scene. He agreed to perform Field Sobriety Tests and performed poorly. He then submitted to a breath sample which indicated he had a blood-alcohol level of .129/.134, well over the legal limit of .08 percent.

Moffett was arrested and charged with one count of driving under the influence.

Moffett was hired by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office on March 20, 2006. He was previously convicted of DUI in October 1995, 11 years before he was employed by the Pinellas Sheriff's Office.

He was one of the lead detectives in the Clearwater Stand Your Ground case against Michael Drejka.

Consistent with sheriff's office policy regarding members arrested for DUI, Moffett's employment was immediately terminated.

Image via Pinellas Sheriff

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