Two Florida sheriff’s deputies have been suspended for 81 hours without pay for their role in making the news of Bob Saget’s death public, the Orange County Sheriff said on Monday.
The two unnamed people had leaked the news of the comedy legend’s death to the press before Saget’s family was notified.
“This case highlights how important it is to allow detectives in death investigations the time to ensure next of kin notifications are made before that information is disseminated to the public. The deputies acknowledged their wrongdoing and were disciplined for their actions,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a statement provided to media outlets.
According to NBC, one of the deputies told their brother about Saget’s death; their brother subsequently revealed the news on his social media account. The other deputy — who was apparently not involved in the case in any way — told a neighbor about it.
Saget died in the early morning hours of Jan. 9 at age 65 in a Florida hotel room after performing standup at a club the night before. His family soon announced that examiners determined he suffered multiple fractures in the back of his head and around his eyes, likely as a result from falling backwards. Officials have said no drugs or alcohol were involved.
The Orange County, Florida, Medical Examiner confirmed that statement on Feb. 10 and also said that Saget was positive for COVID-19 at the time of his death.