Officer Anthony Green Arrested for DUI

Patrol Officer Anthony Mathew Green repeatedly expressed interest in joining the St. Petersburg Police Department's traffic enforcement division.

But that goal and his law enforcement career were endangered by his arrest this weekend on charges that the off-duty officer drunkenly crashed into two different vehicles, then drove away.

Green, 30, was arrested early Saturday on charges of driving under the influence/crash, DUI involving property damage and two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage.

Both incidents took place on Fourth Street N about 10 p.m. Friday, according to St. Petersburg police.

The first crash took place as Green attempted to pass a vehicle near the 3500 block of Fourth Street.

Both vehicles were headed north. Green drove over the raised concrete median while passing a 2009 Honda sedan, police said, and struck the driver's side mirror of that vehicle.

The Honda's driver was not injured, but police said the officer didn't stop after the collision.

Instead, Green continued north on Fourth. Police said Green's vehicle struck another vehicle at 38th Avenue N and Fourth Street. Police said no one was injured in that crash, but that Green kept going.

After the incidents, officers searched the area and found Green's damaged vehicle parked outside his Shore Acres home.

Green, who was off duty, was still inside the vehicle, according to police. His blood-alcohol level tested at 0.179 and 0.173. Florida law presumes a driver is impaired at 0.08 or greater.

He was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County jail about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. He could not be reached for comment Monday.

Green, a graduate of Lakewood High School and the University of South Florida, has been a patrol officer since November 2005. His personnel file shows nothing but positive reviews.

His file also showed that he has never been disciplined by the department. Green was involved in three crashes while driving his police cruiser, according to records, but only one incident was declared "preventable." He received a warning for that incident.

According to police, he was placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation. After the investigation, a chain-of-command board will determine any disciplinary action.