CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Pinellas County Sheriff's Office detention deputy found herself on the other side of the law this morning.
Brittany O'Leary, 24, was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of DUI.
At about 7:24 p.m., Clearwater police officers responded to a single-car crash at 26200 US Highway 19 North, where O'Leary had driven her 2019 Jeep Wrangler off the road and into a retention pond.
According to officers, witnesses had to assist O'Leary from her SUV because her Jeep was almost completely submerged.
Officers said O'Leary had bloodshot and watery eyes, an unsteady balance, slurred speech and the smell of alcohol on her breath.
O'Leary agreed to perform field sobriety tests, but performed poorly on them, officers said. She also agreed to a breath sample which indicated she had a blood alcohol level of .153/.158.
O'Leary was arrested and charged with one count of driving under the influence and cited for DUI with BAC of .15 or higher and careless driving. She was taken to the Pinellas County Jail without incident.
O'Leary was hired by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office in Oct. 2017. She worked as a detention deputy in the Department of Detention and Corrections.
O'Leary's employment was immediately terminated following the arrest, which is consistent with Pinellas County Sheriff's Office policy.
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