A Spalding County deputy was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after he showed up for work Wednesday evening, officials said.
Andrew Degler, who had been with the sheriff’s office for nearly 12 years, reported for duty at 7 p.m. and “appeared to be under the influence of alcohol,” a news release stated. A preliminary breath test came back positive, authorities said.
Degler was fired and arrested on a charge of DUI. Officials said he had blood drawn to test for alcohol content before being booked into the Spalding jail.
In a news release, Sheriff Darrel Dix stated that when he hires a deputy, he makes it clear the badge won’t cover up poor decisions and warns them “not to do dumb stuff.”
Degler was made a sergeant in August, according to records from Georgia’s Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. He started his career at the sheriff’s office as a jailer, a job he held until 2016, and then became an officer and later an investigator, records show.
In April 2022, the sheriff’s office announced on social media that Degler and four other deputies had been named “STAR Award” winners for the first quarter of the year. The recognition was given for going “above and beyond the normal call of duty,” with recognition coming from co-workers and supervisors, the post stated.
The sheriff’s office encouraged anyone “struggling with alcohol or substance abuse” to get help.
“If you wait, it will be too late. It will eventually cost you or someone else their job, their family or a life. A drink or a drug is just not worth it,” the statement said.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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