Two Florida deputies have each been suspended over leaking the news of Bob Saget’s death before his family had been notified.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced the suspensions of 81 hours without pay for each officer on Monday.
“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,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a statement.
“The deputies acknowledged their wrongdoing and were disciplined for their actions,” the statement added.
The report explained that one of the deputies told his brother about Saget’s death, who then posted the information online. The other officer, who was off-duty and not assigned to the investigation, mentioned Saget’s death to a neighbor ahead of the family’s notification.
Page Six reported in March that both Kelly Rizzo, Saget’s wife, as well as a crew member on “Fuller House” confirmed that Saget was not feeling well at the time of his death.
“The records released tell the entire story — that is, Bob passed away after a fall and hitting his head in his hotel room,” the Saget family’s attorney, Brian H. Bieber, shared in a statement on behalf of Rizzo, reported Page Six.
“Now that the medical examiner’s and police department’s records have been released after their respective thorough investigations, the Saget family would appreciate privacy to mourn in peace,” the statement to the outlet added.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, an audio clip from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office revealed that showrunner Rosalie Cocci told authorities that the “Full House” star claimed his hearing was “off” and he was dealing with a “sore throat” before he took the stage at the concert hall where she works in Orlando on January 8, reported TMZ.
The event occurred the day before news surfaced that he was found dead in his hotel room. Cocci also said Saget was suffering from “long-term COVID” following the official autopsy report that determined he had died from blunt head trauma, as reported previously by the outlet.
Saget’s family filed a lawsuit against the Orange County Sheriff’s office in February to block the release of records related to his death. In March, a Florida judge granted a permanent injunction in favor of the family’s request.
Saget family attorney Brian Bieber released a statement on behalf of the family following the ruling.
“The entire Saget family is grateful that the Judge granted their request for an injunction to preserve Bob’s dignity, as well as their privacy rights, especially after suffering this unexpected and tragic loss. We are pleased this issue has been resolved, and the healing process can continue to move forward. All of the prayers and well wishes continuously extended to the family are beyond appreciated,” Bieber told CNN.
An autopsy previously revealed Saget died from “blunt head trauma” that included internal bleeding and other injuries likely resulting from a fall in his hotel room.