Deputy too drunk to accept MADD award

Then they got ready for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) banquet, where Szeliga was to receive an award for having made 100 DUI arrests. But alcohol got in the way. That’s where Szeliga was supposed to receive his MADD award in front of about 200 other invited guests.

Szeliga reportedly slung a series of rude comments at Vincent, including calling him “dude” and saying Vincent was not his boss and he did not need to answer to him. MADD required attendance at all training that weekend in exchange for picking up all the expenses of the conference.

Szeliga is also being accused of driving drunk to the function, though he denies that claim, saying he only had one or two drinks. Szeliga, in turn, was “disrespectful” toward the police chief, leading Vencent to look for one of Szeliga’s supervisors and tell him that the officer was “wasted”, the news station reports. Szeliga and two other deputies arrived, signed in, attended a morning session on driving under the influence (DUI)… then left. A few deputies went swimming. Instead of receiving training, Szeliga drank, swam and played “cornhole” until he saw his fellow deputies leaving training.

The following day, Szeliga completed a full schedule of training before returning to Pinellas County. That’s when Szeliga told investigators he headed back to his room.

Things escalated as the evening approached and Szeliga and his roommate were dressing for the banquet. As it was going off, a DUI squad leader and Pasco County sergeant found Michael Szeliga half-naked and drunk in the hallway, wearing “nothing but boxer shorts”. Szeliga ran into Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent outside the event, and the chief told him that it wasn’t appropriate for Szeliga to attend the affair given his state of intoxication. Szeliga’s eyes were glassy and his speech slurred.

Based on the investigation, Szeliga had taken a bottle of Jameson Irish whiskey in his patrol auto to the two-day conference.

As a punishment for his trashy behavior, Szeliga was reprimanded and given one day of paid suspension (which kind of sounds like an extra vacay day, but whatever).

WFLA Pinellas Sheriff’s Detective Michael Szeliga incurred outrage at a Mother’s Against Drunk Driving conference in Ft.

“We’re rewarding the wrong action by the officer because many (and I mean many) DUI arrests are illegal arrests and many do not result in convictions”, Ibanez wrote.