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A South Carolina detective who drew his gun during a dispute over a colleague heating fish in the office microwave is now stepping away from police work entirely.
Michael DeBiase pleaded guilty Friday to public disorderly conduct stemming from the incident at the Myrtle Beach Police Department this spring, The Smoking Gun reported.
As part of the plea agreement, DeBiase must “surrender his … police certification and never seek reinstatement,” according to court documents he signed.
An arrest warrant states that the 46-year-old officer confronted an unnamed colleague for “warming up fish in the microwave,” creating “an odor in the office.”
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During the confrontation, “Detective DeBiase drew and pointed his department issued handgun” at the colleague, court documents say.
DeBiase was initially charged with pointing and presenting a firearm at another person, and his standing with the department quickly deteriorated.
“He was placed on administrative leave immediately following the incident while investigations were conducted by the Myrtle Beach Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division,” the department said in a statement released in June.
The court documents do not state whether DeBiase’s gun was loaded or identify the type of fish his colleague was reheating.
A previous Post report on return-to-office etiquette listed heating fish in a break room as one of the most serious workplace food faux pas.