Two Florida officials have been suspended for about two weeks each for leaking news of the death of actor and comedian Bob Saget before his family was notified, officials said.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday that the two deputies have been suspended unpaid for 81 hours each.
“This case demonstrates the importance of giving death investigation detectives time to ensure that next of kin are informed before that information is released to the public,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a statement. “The deputies acknowledged their wrongdoing and were disciplined for their actions.”
Read more:
Jennifer Lopez introduces her child to the stage with gender neutral pronouns
One of the officers told his brother about Saget’s death shortly after he responded to the scene, and the brother then posted the information on social media, according to an investigative report. The other deputy sheriff, who was off duty and not involved in the investigation into the death, told his neighbor about Saget’s death, officials said.
Saget, 65, was found on Jan. 9 by a security guard at a hotel at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando after failing to check out of the hotel and asking his family for a wellness check. A medical examiner later determined that the Full room and America’s Funniest Home Videos star had died from an accidental blow to the head, probably from a backward fall.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
