Florida Crime Files: Deputy drank 3 coffee mugs of whiskey before reporting to work: Sheriff

POLK COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida deputy was arrested for allegedly reporting to work drunk, a New Jersey man is accused of flying to Florida to attack a gamer over online dispute, and a Florida dad was arrested after his 15-month-old daughter ate his freshly rolled weed joint: Here's FOX 35's Florida Crime Files. 

Polk County deputy arrested for DUI after drinking 3 coffee mugs of whiskey before duty: Sheriff Grady Judd

Joseph Everett was arrested and charged with DUI on June 22, 2024, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. (Photo: Polk County Sheriff's Office)

A deputy for the Polk County Sheriff's Office was arrested Saturday morning after he allegedly reported for duty while drunk, according to Sheriff Grady Judd. 

Joseph Everett, 27, was charged with DUI after he showed up for work with signs of being intoxicated, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. 

Everett's supervisor smelled alcohol on the deputy's breath and suspected he was drunk, according to an arrest affidavit. The deputy then admitted that he "consumed about three coffee mugs of whiskey" the night before, the sheriff's office added. 

Sheriff Judd said a field sobriety test revealed "numerous signs of obvious impairment."

Everett, who had worked with the sheriff's office for two years, resigned upon his arrest. 

"Anytime someone chooses to drive under the influence of alcohol, it shows a lack of good judgment," Sheriff Judd said in a statement. "If you lack the proper judgment when it comes to drinking and driving, you have no business working in law enforcement. We hold our deputies to a higher standard than the community, and he failed to meet that standard."

Man flies to Florida to attack gamer with hammer over online dispute, deputies say

Edward Kang via Nassau County Sheriff's Office

A 20-year-old New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly flying to Florida to attack a fellow gamer with a hammer following an "online altercation" that the pair had gotten into after meeting in the virtual fantasy world of ArcheAge, police say. 

Edward Kang is now facing an attempted second-degree murder charge after the assault that unfolded early Sunday in Fernandina Beach, which left the victim with severe but non-life-threatening head injuries, according to Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper. 

"I just want to let you know that this is a weird one," Leeper said during a press conference. "Some things make you say ‘hmm’. Some things you just can’t make up. There are some things that make you say ‘what in the world was he thinking’? And there are some things that make you say ‘you’re not going to believe this.’ Well, this case makes you say all four of those."

Leeper said Kang and the victim had never met in person but were "acquainted through an online video game called ArcheAge," which he described as a "fantasy-based, massively multiplayer online game, or an MMO, where players interact in an immersive, virtual world, similar to World of Warcraft." 

"This video game is something where you can name characters, you can fight other characters and kill them – I don’t know what transpired between the victim and the suspect, but something made the suspect want to come down to Florida and injure that other individual," Leeper said. 

The sheriff said his deputies were first called to a home in Fernandina Beach early Sunday to respond to a physical altercation and "upon arrival, they discovered a significant amount of blood in the entryway of the home and in the victim’s bedroom." 

Police say the victim’s stepfather reported being awoken in the middle of the night by screams for help, and he went to investigate, he allegedly found his stepson on the ground in a physical struggle with Kang. 

Florida dad arrested after 15-month-old daughter eats his freshly rolled weed joint: deputies

A Florida man has found himself behind bars because his 15-month-old daughter was hospitalized after she ate most of her father's freshly rolled marijuana joint, according to deputies. 

Cody Spiegelhalter was arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with child neglect after the incident that unfolded in Bunnell that day, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. 

It all started when a man reported to police that his niece's child was visiting her father at his home in Bunnell and had to be taken to a local hospital, deputies said. 

Deputies caught up with Spiegelhalter at his home, which was in "complete disarray," according to the sheriff's office. Deputies said the home had "dog feces and urine on the floors, garbage throughout, and exposed nails and plumbing." The air condition wasn't working, either. 

While Spiegelhalter was at home, he rolled a marijuana joint for himself – but put it down and went to use the bathroom, according to deputies. That's when his 15-month-old daughter grabbed it and ingested most of it.

"While speaking with Spiegelhalter, deputies observed there was loose marijuana all over the residence, within reach of a toddler," deputies said. "A small amount of mushroom and THC wax were also in plain view."

Spiegelhalter took the child to the hospital after she began having medical issues, deputies said. 

She was then transferred to a pediatric hospital for treatment. Her current condition is unknown at this time.