Deputy loses his job and was locked up, Richland County sheriff says. Here’s why

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said that a former deputy lost his job after getting arrested for drunk driving.

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Spencer Matthew Link, 35, was charged with DUI (less than .10) Wednesday night, the sheriff’s department said Thursday in a news release. The former deputy was a 2-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, according to the release.

At about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, Link was off duty and driving his personal vehicle on Bluff Road, the sheriff’s department said.

A South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper made a traffic stop, pulling over the Toyota pickup truck Link was driving, according to the release. Link was believed to be under the influence of alcohol and was placed under arrest, the sheriff’s department said.

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Link was booked into the Alvin S. Glen Detention Center, according to the release. A $992 personal recognizance bond was issued and posted Thursday, Richland County court records show. He’s not currently listed on the jail’s inmate roster.

He’s scheduled to return to court on Aug. 13, judicial records show.

Link was immediately suspended without pay and is no longer employed with the sheriff’s department, according to the release. There was no word if Link was fired or if he resigned.