FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A Flagler County Sheriff’s Office detective was disciplined Friday for unbecoming conduct after an internal investigation.
On Dec. 4, Detective Ardit Coma was arrested by Ormond Beach police for attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, officials said.
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He was in his unmarked assigned agency vehicle on his way to work when it happened and he was immediately suspended without pay.
The charges were dismissed, but Sheriff Rick Staley ordered an internal investigation. Staley said he read the arrest report and was “surprised” an arrest was made because there was no evidence that showed he was intentionally trying to flee while driving an agency vehicle.
“Although the criminal charge was dismissed, the facts appear clear that Detective Coma was speeding in an agency vehicle,” Staley said.
On Friday, the sheriff’s office concluded its investigation, saying that Coma committed two policy violations. The first being Unbecoming Conduct and the second, Operating Vehicles, which requires personnel to operate vehicles in a careful and prudent manner and obey all laws.
Coma was suspended without pay for two days, losing wages and benefits. He also isn’t allowed to use his agency vehicle for 90 days.
“Sheriff Staly believes in accountability and transparency, and Detective Coma accepted full responsibility for his actions and quickly waived a formal disciplinary hearing, which allowed us to resolve this matter quickly once all investigations were completed,” Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge said. “Our employees are held to a higher standard than the average driver, which is why, on top of whatever a court determines the traffic infraction fine to be, he faced additional discipline by the agency to include a suspension and loss of his take-home vehicle privileges.”