Florida Officer Suspended One Day After His Patrol Rifle Was Stolen

An officer with the Boynton Beach (FL) Police Department was suspended for one day after an internal investigation revealed that his patrol rifle was stolen from his unlocked patrol vehicle in May.

According to the Palm Beach Post , Officer Michael Autiello had just finished an off-duty detail and parked his department Chevrolet Tahoe at a garage at his residence in Broward County and said he thought he had locked the car with the remote "key fob."

He said in a statement during the investigation, "I guess I didn’t, and I didn't check it."

Autiello said his girlfriend returned to the garage the next day to discover items lying next to the vehicle. He determined that his department-issued AR-10 as well as a number of other items were missing from the vehicle.

He reported the theft, which prompted the internal review. It was not immediately clear if Autiello would contest the one-day suspension.