> Community activists say Haines City police officer's discipline falls short of justice for man viole
Community activists say Haines City police officer's discipline falls short of justice for man viole
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Critics say it's simply inadequate.
After more than year of investigation, the Haines City Police Department issued a letter of 'retraining' – exonerating Officer Justin Vasquez. Vasquez was singled out following what community activists called a case of police brutality caught on camera.
“I think that the officer should've been reprimanded and possibly moved from his job here. At least some sort of reprimand suspension,” said Pastor Clayton Cowart with the Poor Minority Justice Association.
The complaint stemmed from a video of Vasquez arresting Miranda Brundidge III.
The video shows Vasquez repeatedly punching Brundidge, forcefully throwing him on the hood of a hot police car and holding him down even as Brundidge asks why he's being detained about a dozen times.
“It's a behavior that, if it's not addressed, is going to escalate,” said Cowart. “And we really were expecting more.”
The letter shows the entire incident started with a traffic stop over a dark window tint.
The investigation’s findings recommended retraining Vasquez for failing to activate his police lights when he started his pursuit, failing to deescalate the situation, placing Brundidge on the hood of the car, failing to inadvertently turn on his police body camera and failing to move Brundidge from the area as the community’s reaction began to escalate.
The letter of retraining ends on a personal note, referring to Vasquez as a good officer and an asset to the agency.
It’s a description those who filed the complaint found troubling.
MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/officer-accused-of-police-brutality-investigation-complete/67-508eb292-1451-4308-9d53-57d8c7ec65b4
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