Officer was too drunk to receive award from MADD

A veteran Florida police officer who was to receive an award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving for making more than 100 DUI arrests was too intoxicated to receive his award. 

A 274-page internal affairs report on the incident was released last week by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Tampa.

According to an investigation, Florida deputy Michael Szeliga and two other officers were to attend a two-day training seminar on DUI law enforcement in July in Fort Lauderdale, according to WFLA TV in Tampa. 

On the first night of the seminar, MADD was going to honor Szeliga with an award. However, when he arrived at the banquet, he was too intoxicated to accept the award in front of the 200 invited guests.

The report notes that a witness described Szeliga as being "staggeringly drunk."

Based on the investigation, Szeliga had taken a bottle of Jameson Irish whiskey in his patrol car to the two-day conference. He told investigators that another officer had brought a bottle of Crown Royal.

Szeliga and a few other deputies left their morning training session after the first break to drink whiskey and Coke before they headed to the pool. 

Before the evening banquet, a Pasco County sergeant reported that a fire alarm went off when they were getting ready and he saw Szeliga in the hotel hallway wearing "nothing but boxer shorts." He told Szeliga's supervisor that "he was pretty drunk" when he had seen him in the hallway. 

The investigation found that Gulfport Police Chief Robert Vincent reported to Szeliga's supervisor that his deputy was "wasted" and he was ordered back to his room without receiving the award. 

As a result of his actions, Szeliga was given a one-day paid suspension. He is now a detective in the crimes against children unit.  

Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @caitiesmith