HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A 15-year Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) deputy was arrested on Friday for driving a boat while impaired.
According to a Sheriff’s Office press release, Clinton Ormsbee, 52, was charged with boating under the influence.
At 9:54 p.m., a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) officer observed a vessel operating without its navigational lights displayed. The officer initiated a vessel stop and found that the driver, Ormsbee, was impaired, the release stated.
He was taken into custody and refused to provide a breath sample.
Ormsbee was booked into the Orient Jail.
"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," said Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister. "His reckless behavior not only endangered his own life but also posed a severe threat to the safety of innocent individuals."
Ormsbee has been employed by HCSO for 15 years and is assigned to the Court Operations Division.
He is currently on administrative leave without pay, pending the results of an internal affairs investigation.
