A St. Petersburg police officer fired after a domestic battery arrest in February was first arrested on a domestic battery charge back in 2016.
The department shared that Officer Curtis Wright was fired on Tuesday following a Command Review Board’s assessment of his alleged actions on Feb. 15, 2026.
On that day, Pinellas County deputies arrested Wright on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge against his wife.
“He was on parental leave at the time and was placed on administrative leave until his criminal court proceedings and Office of Professional Standards investigations concluded,” the police department wrote.
The criminal case against Wright concluded on June 25 with a “no information” letter from the state attorney’s office. However, the review board found that Officer Wright violated the City of St. Petersburg Rules and Regulations of Personnel Management System.
Police cited the following rules:
Unlawful or improper conduct either on or off the job, which an employee knows or reasonably should know could negatively affect the employee’s relationship to the job, fellow workers, reputation, or goodwill in the community.
Conviction or guilt of a felony or a misdemeanor of the first or second degree as defined by Florida Statutes, of federal criminal law, or any violation of a City rule, policy and/or ordinance involving moral turpitude, irrespective of the initiation or result of a criminal proceeding, while either on or off the job.
Wright was sworn in as a St. Petersburg police officer on April 10, 2010, and was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau.
The police department later confirmed to 10 Tampa Bay News that Officer Wright was first charged with domestic battery back in 2016 and faced a previous suspension in 2018 relating to an incident at a concert.
Officer Wright was arrested in 2016 and suspended for a concert incident in 2018
Pinellas County deputies arrested Officer Curtis Wright on Sept. 18, 2016, on a charge of domestic battery, St. Pete police announced in a Facebook post at the time.
“The altercation with his live-in girlfriend took place at their home on September 17th at about 1:30 a.m.,” the post reads.
The state attorney’s office issued a “no file” letter, and no formal criminal charges were filed.
The unrelated 2018 suspension stemmed from an incident in July 2017 at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater.
According to police, Officer Curtis Wright thought that someone stole his e-cigarette during the concert and lost his girlfriend when he went to investigate.
Wright came across event security guards while searching for her and reportedly pushed one of the guards multiple times.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded and detained Wright after saying he did not cooperate.
Officer Wright appeared before a Command Review Board on Jan. 12, 2018, when it was decided he committed “conduct unbecoming an employee” that could have ended with “conviction or guilt of a felony or misdemeanor.”
The board decided at the time that Wright would be suspended from work for 160 hours, along with no alcohol use for five years, random testing for alcohol for 18 months, and mandatory EAP counseling.