An off-duty Atlanta detective allegedly stole a $19 case of beer from a grocery store and used his undercover department vehicle to speed home with the suds.
Ronald Sluss of the Atlanta Police Department allegedly swiped a 12-pack of SweetWater IPA from a Publix in Canton on Sept. 16, WSBTV reported, citing the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said Sluss, wearing a T-shirt, baseball cap and sunglasses, was caught on surveillance footage carrying the pack of booze through the checkout area while holding what appeared to be a receipt.
The store’s manager grew suspicious of Sluss after he allegedly walked through the checkout without paying and followed him into the parking lot and snapped a photo of his vehicle.
At the time the Publix manager called 911, he had no idea he was reporting a cop — and only later found out Sluss’ ride was in fact an undercover police vehicle.
It took a while for authorities to initially figure out who Sluss was because of the nondescript vehicle.
But after tracing the truck back to the Atlanta Police Department, supervisors identified the alleged beer bandit as one of their own detectives.
Sluss was confronted at his home where he was arrested and had a “strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath,” according to the arresting deputy.
Investigators noted Sluss’ undercover vehicle also reeked of booze, the outlet reported.
Customers at the supermarket were stunned by the allegations against the cop.
“That’s crazy. I mean, what else could you think?” one customer told WSBTV on Friday.
“I would think he would know what he did is a bad idea,” another shopper said.
While one customer simply called it a “bad choice” by Sluss.
The Atlanta Police Department said the alleged thieving cop has been placed in a non-enforcement status while the department’s office of professional standards investigates the case, the outlet reported.
“It is to be noted that the Atlanta Police Department takes all allegations of misconduct seriously, and officers are expected to abide by the highest standards of our profession,” the department said in a news release.
Although Sluss remains employed by the department, he is no longer working in the field.
