BROOKSVILLE - The sheriff's deputy who was charged with drunken driving in Pasco County in May has returned to work - without his car.
Hernando County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Joseph Paez confirmed that Detective Michael Nelson, 41, was reinstated on June 9 but is unable to drive after his driver's license was suspended. The 20-year department veteran was initially suspended with pay while the Sheriff's Office launched an internal inquiry into his arrest.
Since the investigation has not been completed, Paez said further disciplinary action, including termination, could be taken against Nelson depending on the resolution of the DUI charge.
For the time being, Nelson has reassumed his role as the lead investigator of the Sheriff Office's cold case unit, which investigates unsolved cases in Hernando County.
On May 9, Pasco sheriff's deputies pulled over Nelson while he was driving his car on its rim after the left front tire blew out.
Upon his arrest, Nelson refused to submit to breath, urine or blood tests, leading to the suspension of his license for one year.
