PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy stepped down from his position after he reportedly let the driver responsible for a deadly hit-and-run crash leave the scene.
Deputy Junior Lewis pulled over a car after he noticed it had damage, according to a memorandum written by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri retrieved by 10 Tampa Bay.
The driver of the car was showing "obvious" signs of driving under the influence and the car he was in was involved in a recent crash, authorities said.
However, before Lewis concluded his traffic stop, he reportedly intentionally turned off his body-worn and in-car video camera from recording him talking to the driver and a person in the passenger seat.
The sheriff wrote that the deputy told the driver and passenger to switch seats before he let them leave the area and drive to a nearby home.
"Deputy Lewis failed to check the driver for warrants and failed to verify that the passenger had a valid driver's license before letting them drive off," the memorandum reads.
The sheriff's office says it was later discovered the car that the two people were inside was involved in a hit-and-run crash that killed a person who was on a bicycle moments before Lewis pulled them over.
"By failing to take any investigative action during the traffic stop and allowing the driver to leave, Deputy Lewis hindered the driver from being immediately charged with DUI manslaughter," Gualtieri wrote.
After speaking with his commander, Lewis gave him false and misleading information about what he did during the traffic stop and didn't provide certain details, the report says.
On Thursday during a hearing, the deputy admitted to the allegations made against him, which he then immediately resigned after.
If he did not choose to step down from his position, Gualtieri said he would have immediately terminated Lewis' employment with the sheriff's office.
"This matter will be referred to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission for its consideration of action against Deputy Lewis' Florida law enforcement officer certification," the memorandum reads.