Spalding County Deputy Fired, Arrested for DUI After Reporting to Work Intoxicated

A Spalding County Sheriff’s Office sergeant was terminated and arrested for DUI after arriving to work under the influence of alcohol, according to Sheriff Darrell Dix.

At approximately 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Chief Deputy Tony Thomason informed Sheriff Dix that Uniform Patrol Division Sergeant Andrew Degler had reported for duty at 7:00 p.m. and appeared intoxicated. A shift deputy reported the concern to a lieutenant, and a preliminary breath test confirmed the presence of alcohol.

Degler, a nearly 12-year veteran of the agency, was immediately terminated, placed under arrest for DUI, read his implied consent warning, and had blood drawn to determine his alcohol level. He was booked into the Spalding County Jail and is currently in custody awaiting bond.

Sheriff Dix stated, “Each Deputy I hire, whether in enforcement or in detention, receives the same blunt talk from me when I swear them in, and part of that talk is that the badge you wear covers several square inches of your chest and none of your ass. I warn them not to do dumb stuff and think that their badge will get them out of it, because it won’t.”

He praised the shift lieutenant and deputies involved, saying, “They did the right thing, and I am proud of them for the way they stood up and handled the situation.”

Sheriff Dix urged anyone struggling with substance abuse to seek help before it is too late.