Pinellas sheriff’s deputy fired after drunk driving arrest

A Pinellas County sheriff’s deputy has been fired after she was arrested on a drunk driving charge early Tuesday morning.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, 26-year-old Shelby Coniglio was pulled over by St. Petersburg police about 1 a.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Fourth Street North and 108th Avenue North.

Officers said her breath smelled like alcohol, she had bloodshot, glassy eyes and her speech was slurred. She also struggled to remain steady on her feet, officers noted.

Coniglio agreed to take field sobriety tests, but did poorly, officers said. She took a breathalyzer test, which showed her blood alcohol content was above the legal limit, police said.

Coniglio faces a charge of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or greater. Florida law presumes someone is too impaired to drive at 0.08.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Coniglio was hired in 2018 and worked in the Patrol Operations Bureau. She was immediately fired after her arrest, in line with agency policy. She was released from the Pinellas County Jail on her own recognizance Tuesday.