ISLE OF WIGHT, Va. — An Isle of Wight sheriff's deputy has been terminated after he was arrested for drinking while intoxicated, according to the Isle of Wight County Sheriff's Office.
Preston Sauls, 29, is charged with Class 1 Misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. The Sheriff's Office said Saul was on duty when a fellow deputy found Saul's patrol car near Franklin Regional Airport along John Beverly Rose Drive during the early morning hours of July 16.
The sheriff's office said Saul clocked in for his shift but didn't show up for roll call.
"We went out to try to find him at a location that we thought he might be at. He wasn't answering calls, and we found him there in the car," said Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office Deputy Alecia Paul.
Court documents said Saul passed out in the driver's seat of the patrol car while the engine was running. According to the criminal complaint, Saul had bloodshot and glassy eyes, seemed confused, and refused to take a field sobriety test.
When deputies took Saul into custody, he submitted a breathalyzer test. It revealed he had a blood alcohol content of .09, according to the court document. It's just above the legal limit of 0.08 in Virginia.
Investigators searched his car and found an open container of Twisted Tea behind the center console.
According to the Sheriff's Office, Saul was immediately placed on administrative leave without pay and has since been terminated.
"We don't like to let the community down, and when we discovered it, we took action immediately to maintain the trust that we have with the community," said Deputy Paul.
Deputy Paul said Saul was hired by the department in October 2023. Court documents say Saul was released on a summons. He is scheduled to appear for an arraignment on July 24.