BROWARD COUNTY PBA DAILY CLIPS

June 13, 2017

1

MEDIA OUTLET: Sun Sentinel HEADLINE: Hollywood cop wins case after raiding wrong house, killing dog BYLINE: Susannah Bryan LINK: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/hollywood/fl-sb-cop-kills-dog-hollywood-lawsuit-update-20170612-story.html STORY: A Hollywood officer who shot and killed a man’s dog after raiding the wrong apartment did not violate the man’s rights, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro ruled Officer Michael McBride is entitled to immunity under a legal doctrine that says law enforcement officers should not be held liable unless their actions were clearly incompetent or they knowingly violated the law. McBride in January 2015 fired six shots at Missy, a 65-pound red-nosed pit bull, even though she was running away from the officer as the raid was taking place. The shooting was captured by a Telemundo camera crew that was there to capture footage of the raid. “The judge has made her final decision. And while we respect her decision, we don’t agree with it,” said Heidi Mehaffey, attorney for Missy’s owner, Wilson Almendarez. “We do believe this is a sad day for pet owners.” Almendarez, 38, filed a lawsuit last year accusing police of violating the Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. He adopted the 6-year-old dog a year before she was shot. McBride was among several officers who went to the wrong apartment searching for a man who’d been arrested the day before in Miami-Dade County. Officers sealed off every avenue of escape and began banging on the windows and door, the lawsuit says. Hollywood police sued after killing dog, raiding wrong house When Almendarez’s roommate opened the door, Missy made a run for it. A K-9 officer near the door kicked Missy to keep her away from his police dog. Missy did not try to attack the officer or his dog, the lawsuit says, but continued to run toward the only exit, where McBride stood with his weapon drawn and started firing. Almendarez began crying when he realized his dog had been shot. “She was my baby,” he said in an interview at the time. “She was everything to me. She did not deserve to die like that. She was a loving dog.” The Hollywood Police Department reviewed the incident and concluded the shooting was in compliance with department rules. “This was an unfortunate incident that occurred in the line of duty,” Police Chief Tomas Sanchez said Monday. “Officers regret having to take action which resulted in the loss of this pit bull’s life. Action was taken only as a last resort to ensure the officer’s safety during their criminal investigation.”

2

MEDIA OUTLET: Sun Sentinel HEADLINE: Water leaking into new Broward courthouse BYLINE: Larry Barszewski LINK: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-sb-broward-courthouse-windows-leaking-20170612-story.html STORY: Less than a month after Broward court officials completed their move into the new 20-story courthouse tower, work crews are back because windows on its uppermost floors are leaking. Water from heavy rains started seeping into the building Thursday, Assistant County Administrator Alphonso Jefferson said Monday. There was “minor water intrusion” between the 16th and 20th floors, with water coming through portions of the exterior wall and windows, Jefferson and Court Administrator Kathleen Pugh said. The repairs being done by contractor James Cummings Inc. include drying out the affected areas, placing additional sealing on the exterior wall connections and replacing affected drywall. The work is being done under warranty, Jefferson said. Pugh said some staff had to be temporarily relocated while the repairs are being made. The leaks aren’t the first water damage in the new building, at Southeast Sixth Street and First Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, constructed next to the old courthouse. Before the building was fully sealed during construction, a June 2014 rainstorm damaged interior materials, including drywall and caused mold to grow. In January 2016, when the tower was almost complete, the fifth-floor men’s bathroom toilet overflowed, damaging ceilings, carpets, tiles and walls on three floors and creating more mold that had to be removed.

3

MEDIA OUTLET: Sun Sentinel HEADLINE: Appeals court being asked to overturn 'stand your ground' ruling in case of Broward deputy BYLINE: Associated Press LINK: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/sfl-peraza-appeal-clone-20170613-story.html STORY: An appeals court is considering dismissing a manslaughter charge against a Broward deputy who fatally shot a man carrying an air rifle. Oral arguments were scheduled for Tuesday before the 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach by prosecutors and the attorney for Broward Sheriff's Office Deputy Peter Peraza. A circuit judge last year threw out the manslaughter charge against Peraza under Florida's "stand your ground" self-defense law. Prosecutors say the judge's ruling was in error and that a jury should hear the case. Peraza faced a potential 30-year prison sentence for fatally shooting 33-year-old Jermaine McBean in 2013 after 911 callers reported a man carrying a rifle down a busy street. A ruling by the appeals court is likely weeks or months away.

4

MEDIA OUTLET: Miami Herald HEADLINE: Former Miami-Dade police officer surrenders in armed standoff with deputies BYLINE: Elizabeth Koh LINK: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article155829584.html STORY: A former Miami-Dade police officer was taken into custody after backing down in an armed standoff with deputies in St. Lucie County. The man, who was not identified, had a fight with his girlfriend Monday morning in Miami-Dade County, St. Lucie Sheriff Ken Mascara told reporters. Shortly after noon, deputies received a call from the woman saying her boyfriend was in the area and threatening to commit suicide. The woman also said the former officer, who had called her on FaceTime, was armed. Deputies tracked the man down using his phone’s signal and discovered him in the parking lot of the Flying J truck stop at Kings Highway and Orange Avenue about half an hour later, Mascara said. Sheriff's Office SWAT Team members and hostage negotiators were called to the scene, and officers evacuated a nearby Denny’s restaurant to set up a perimeter around the back lot where the man was in his vehicle. Negotiators began speaking with the man to establish a rapport and talk him out of his attempted suicide, Mascara said. “He wanted to kill himself,” he said. “We as an agency felt he might want to commit suicide by cop. That was our greatest fear.” The man asked if the sheriff was on the scene, and Mascara spoke with the officer briefly, he said. After about 2 1/2 hours, Mascara added, the man agreed to walk out of his car with Mascara unarmed, with his service revolver left on the backseat. When the man exited the vehicle, he told Mascara that he “never wanted to hurt anybody and was going through a lot of personal things in his life.” “We all know that pain sometimes,” Mascara later told reporters. He said he told the man, “’We’re all one big family, we’re here to take care of you.’” The man also asked to talk to his girlfriend and his former employer, which deputies agreed to facilitate. It was unclear why the man chose to travel to St. Lucie County, Mascara said. The former officer was taken to a mental health facility after being taken into custody.

5

MEDIA OUTLET: FOX Miami (Channel 7) HEADLINE: Retired Coral Springs deputy police chief arrested for road rage BYLINE: FOX Miami LINK: http://wsvn.com/news/local/retired-coral-springs-deputy-police-chief-arrested-for-road-rage/ STORY: COCONUT CREEK, FLA. (WSVN) - A retired Coral Springs deputy police chief was arrested for allegations of road rage. Fifty-six-year-old Mark Haydu is now being held without bond at the Broward County Jail. Witnesses said he got into a fender bender with another driver, then hopped out and punched that driver twice in the face. The road rage incident happened Friday morning in the Home Depot parking lot, located near State Road 7 and Wiles Road, in Coconut Creek.

6

MEDIA OUTLET: FOX Miami (Channel 7) HEADLINE: BSO deputies ‘ticket’ kids doing good deeds with free Slurpees BYLINE: Cherine Eurich LINK: http://wsvn.com/news/local/bso-deputies-ticket-kids-doing-good-deeds-with-free-slurpees/ STORY: (WSVN) - It’s a tasty reward for “staying cool.” The Broward Sheriff’s Office has partnered with 7-Eleven for “Operation Chill,” which is designed to reduce crime and improve relationships between police officers and young residents. BSO deputies who see kids doing good deeds or exhibiting positive behavior can “ticket” them, giving them a coupon for a free Slurpee. The convenience store chain says it has has partnered with over 900 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Canada, awarding more than 15 million coupons to deserving kids. Other local police departments participating in the “cool” operation include Plantation, Miami Beach, Pembroke Pines, North Miami, Miami-Dade, Miramar, Hollywood, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, and Coral Gables.

7

MEDIA OUTLET: ABC Miami (Channel 10) HEADLINE: Former Coral Springs police deputy chief accused of punching driver after crash BYLINE: Amanda Batchelor LINK: https://www.local10.com/news/crime/former-coral-springs-police-deputy-chief-accused-of-punching-driver-after-crash STORY: COCONUT CREEK, Fla. - A former deputy chief for the Coral Springs Police Department was arrested Friday after he punched a driver after a minor crash in Coconut Creek, authorities said. According to an arrest report, Mark Haydu, 56, was involved in a minor crash last week with the 69-year-old victim in the parking lot of a Home Depot at 4450 N. State Road 7. Police said Haydu was driving a black 2015 Chevy Camaro and the victim was driving a black 2001 Ford Explorer. According to an arrest report, the victim pulled his SUV into a parking space after the crash, and Haydu blocked the victim in with his vehicle. Police said Haydu opened the driver's door to the victim's vehicle and punched the victim twice in the face. Police said Haydu then reached into the SUV and removed the keys from the ignition and put them into his pocket. A witness began recording the incident, and Haydu yelled at him, "You want some, too?" the report said. Authorities said two witnesses corroborated the victim's statements about the altercation. Haydu was arrested on charges of burglary and battery on someone 65 or older. Coral Springs police spokeswoman Carla Kmiotek said Haydu retired in good standing from the police department seven years ago.