ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — A Pinellas County Detective was arrested Thursday after deputies say he showed up to a murder scene drunk.
Homicide detective in Pinellas County fired after DUI arrest
Detective George Moffett, 48, was off duty when he showed up to the scene. Deputies say he drove all the way from Riverview and looked and smelled drunk.
He agreed to sobriety tests and was arrested after he blew .129/.134 during a breathalyzer. Moffett is no longer a detective for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office.
Moffett was not on call and didn’t have to show up to the shooting but did anyway.
"When the lead detective shows up intoxicated at a crime scene, that shows the poorest judgment possible,” said John Trevena, a lawyer representing Michael Drejka. “If he exercised that kind of poor judgment in that situation, what kind of poor judgment did he exercise in the Drejka case?"
Last year, Moffett was tasked as the lead detective on the Michael Drejka and Markeis McGlockton case. Drejka is awaiting trial accused of shooting and killing McGlockton over a disabled parking space.
Trial date set for Clearwater stand your ground shooter
Girlfriend of man killed in Clearwater stand your ground shooting was pregnant at the time
The Sheriff’s office wasn’t going to press charges in that incident, but the State Attorney's office did.
"He wanted to make an arrest. He was upset about not being able to make an arrest and he thought that was very wrong,” said Trevena.
He says that also calls into question Moffett’s credibility.
The State Attorneys Office believe Moffett’s arrest has no impact on their case. They say the gas station video speaks for itself. They also say the deposition between Drejka and Moffett and the words out of Drejka’s mouth during that taped interview clearly show he doesn’t understand the responsibility of a concealed weapons permit.
Legal Analyst Jeff Swartz echo’s that thought and says even if Moffett doesn’t testify during the August trial, the state will still have a strong case.
The lawyer for the McGlockton Family tells ABC Action News she has no comment.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s office released this statement regarding Moffett’s arrest:
Detective Moffett made a poor decision to drive drunk and his actions were potentially dangerous to others. Detective Moffett’s employment was immediately terminated and he has to face the consequences of his actions.
