Miami Beach police sergeant returns to work after being fired for drinking at off-duty job

Sgt. Mike Muley caught on camera drinking in uniform at Mango's Tropical Cafe

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Sgt. Mike Muley is returning to work Tuesday at the Miami Beach Police Department, a year and a half after he was fired for drinking while working off-duty at a nightclub.

An independent arbitrator ruled earlier this year that the Police Department must rehire him because the city did not follow its own requirements before terminating him.

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According to the arbitrator's report, Muley had to complete a series of conditions imposed by the arbitrator before he was reinstated, which included undergoing an evaluation regarding his alcohol issues and possible rehabilitation.

File: Arbitrator ruling for Miami Beach police Sgt. Mike Muley

As long as Muley stuck to the conditions, he would be reinstated with no loss of rank or seniority. 

"Sgt. Muley has complied with the conditions of the arbitrator’s award and, effective today, has returned to the Department," Chief Daniel Oates said in a statement. "He will go through a period of re-acclimatization and training, and he will then be assigned to patrol duties."

According to paperwork obtained by Local 10 News, Muley had at least six alcoholic drinks, double vodka and cranberry, in July 2014 while he was in uniform at Mango's Tropical Café on Ocean Drive.

Surveillance video shows Muley hugging a woman with a drink in his hand outside the club, then appearing to stumble later inside the bar.

He was later seen jokingly drawing his gun from his holster and appearing to vomit just off camera on the sidewalk next to the bar entrance.

After he was led to a room at a hotel next door by a bar manager, authorities said Muley wandered away and was spotted by a lieutenant who received an anonymous call about an intoxicated police officer partying on South Beach.

The incident led to the Miami Beach Police Department suspending its policy of allowing officers to work off-duty security jobs in the city.

"Since the time of the incident, Sgt. Muley has taken the necessary steps to ensure that his mental and physical well-being are in the right condition to perform his duties," Florida State and Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police President Bobby Jenkins said in a statement. "We are confident that he is properly able to protect and serve the citizens of Miami Beach, as he did for many years prior."

Muley was a 15-year veteran of the Miami Beach Police Department at the time of the incident. He previously came under fire after being criticized for his poor response to a call for help on the night former Miami Beach police Officer Derick Kuilan crashed his police-issued all-terrain vehicle during an on-duty joyride.

"Sgt. Muley has always been a decorated veteran of this police department and it is encouraging to see that despite his misstep, he will have the opportunity to once again serve this community honorably," Jenkins said.  


About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.