Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy Jonathan Kuleski will lose his patrol vehicle for 30 days and is the subject of written reprimand as a result of totaling a sheriff’s vehicle while on patrol last September, his second crash in four months.
Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. Jeff Stuart issued the disciplinary decision today (Jan. 28), following an internal investigation of Kuleski’s crash–his second internal investigation in six months–that concluded on the last day of last year. The investigation found that Kukleski was at fault for the crash and had been speeding on White View Parkway, violating department policy, as he was responding to a call in the area.
The disciplinary action is effective starting at 6 p.m. this evening, though in effect Kuleski will be without a patrol car for 14 working days, which equate to a total of 30 days when off days are included. The written reprimand is a relatively severe mark on an employee’s record in the gradation of discipline, leaving Kuleski little room for error in the near future.
“In order to prevent this action from occurring in the future,” Stuart’s suspension memo reads, Kuleski “has been advised to adhere to all laws and general orders pertaining to the operation of agency vehicles. Should further violations occur he was advised progressive discipline will be administered.” Kuleski may resume operation of his patrol vehicle the morning of Feb. 26.
Kuleski was hired in August 2014. He was the subject of his first internal affairs investigation after deputies found him taking part in a drinking party in an empty lot in Palm Coast’s W Section last April. He was cleared of wrongdoing. He was involved in his first patrol-car crash the following month. The vehicle was totaled, according to sheriff’s office investigators. Kuleski was previously with the Bunnell Police Department.
theevoice says
wrong..termination is the ONLY solution…
The Geode says
Is the County REALLY that desperate to keep this obvious hazard on the payroll? I feel safer with the unlicensed drivers and drunks – they seem to drive with better care.
JonQPublik says
Yay for nepotism!
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(I can’t be the only one thinking this, right?)
Watchdog says
Wow….. I got nothing
Veteran says
Fire him. Lots of good people looking for work.
Trumpster says
What does a Deputy do in Flagler County without a car? Will we see him walking the beat? maybe he will be assigned duty at WalMart, after it would just be another Fed per for the Waltons.
justice joke says
Can we get an ivestigation into that 1st ivestigation? with the underage drinking and tresspassing, somebody let something slide therr and it may be the result of this guy doing some serious damage
GoodFella says
So should we start video taping all the sheriff employees who run stop signs, speed, do not use turn signals, etc…. I see this every day. None of them follow the law, not just this kid. He is just following what his peers do, there all breaking the law at one point or another. He just got caught because he crashed. I actually almost got into a head on collision last year when an officer was on his computer and swerved over the double yellow line. I had to hit the grass, can you imagine if I would have done that to him??? I ask myself all the time, texting and driving is illegal and dangerous! But using a laptop is not???
Sickofstupidity says
So this is one of the “good” guys? I’d hate to see the bad ones.
retired says
Bullshit people. He is a good officer. Veteran, lots of good people should already have a job. Leave the kid alone.
just saying says
He’s a twenty something year old kid, he’s driving nearly 2,500 miles a month at night. Patrol vehicles have unique needs, did you know that if the tires are punctured they can’t be plugged and kept in service? If the chassis is compromised in anyway, what would be the SO liability if that vehicle was in a second accident? Accidents happen, sure there was speeding and it was outside of policy. However, I bet if you were just victimized you wouldn’t mind a deputy exceeding the posted speed limit to reach you a little faster.
Bc says
Wow no time off no driver training
Rich Mikola says
He’s got to be related to somebody in politics. Check it out, Flaglerlive!
Samuel L. Bronkowitz says
Hahaha, here come the apologists.
Heading North says
If I remember correctly from my days in Flagler County, by “losing his patrol car” for 30 days, all it means is he is not allowed to take it home as the other deputies do. He will have to drive his personal car to and from operations at the beginning and end of his regular shift. He will still drive his marked unit during his shift. So all he actually lost was the priviledge of taking his car home for 30 days.
He’s young, and experience is the only teacher! I was in the field for over 39 years, and ther is no substitute for experience.
Cindy C. says
Really! He obviously needs more discipline than 30 days w/o his car………FIRED is what he needs….oh but wait we have a Sheriff that is a vey biased individual in office!
Geezer says
Don’t worry – driverless cars are the future. For now I hope that FCSO has AAA.
As far as the deputy is concerned, hey he’s just a kid.
So what he wrecks Crown Vics. Now he gets a Fusion to save gas.
It’s his way of going green – not just being green.
One day he’ll be referred to as Cap’n Crunch.
jim says
thanks Dad!!!
justice joke says
He is not a kid, a kid is like what 16 and under? This man is in his 20’s.
Shark says
I guess they will wait until he kills someone and then get rid of him or promote him !!!!!!!!!!!!!
retiredpd says
Hired in 2014 it is now 2016, he’s been “on the job” for less than 2 years and already 2 internal investigations. No wonder police departments around the country call these deputies “Barney Fifes”.
Rc says
The young arrogant cop should be fired. He is a bad example of how a cop should be. What a joke!