There was another shitshow at the city of Miami Friday, as part two of the inquisition against Police Chief Art Acevedo began, conducted in tandem by the Three Amigos, who are still bristling about the chief’s memo that accuses them of misconduct and interfering with police investigations.
At one point, Chief Judge Commissioner Joe Carollo even speculated that he might be the victim of a throw-down. No joke.
“I want to make sure that I’m not going to be stopped somewhere on a quiet street or someone’s not going to come knocking on my door in the middle of the night with an arrest warrant of some kind based on his orders,” Carollo said. “I don’t want to end up with a couple of rounds in me and then a throw gun so someone can say I aimed a gun at a police officer.”
Someone watches too much Law and Order. Or is it Miami Vice?
Several times, Carollo invited — actually, he kinda dared — the chief to come down to the chambers, even asking the manager if Acevedo was in the building.
Know more: Train wreck Miami City Commission goes off rails on Police Chief Acevedo
“He himself should come down and have the guts to do it in a public meeting,” Carollo said about the allegations in the 8-page denuncia of the Three Amigos and their unethical and possibly criminal behavior.
“If not, [tell him] to shut his big mouth, to please quit threatening us,” he said, his voice getting louder.
Yes, that’s right. The city commissioner accused of abusing his office by several people, including, most recently, the chief of police, says he is being threatened — with arrest. Imagine that!
Chairman Ken Russell, who made a miraculous reappearance and apologized for being scared off on Monday, tried to clear the air: “Mr. Manager, are you aware of any threat to arrest any commissioner?”
Noriega said that he spoke to the chief and told him about a city resolution that specifically directs any kind of investigation of an elected official to the FDLE or FBI. “And there will be no arrest by anyone in the city.”
Anyone in the city. Whew. That still leaves open the possibility.
Know more: Crazy Joe Carollo’s rant vs Miami Police Chief Acevedo leads to lawsuits
This was a continuation of the special commission meeting on Monday, which Carollo called to discuss the new chief’s actions and his [suddenly shortened] future in Miami, which is certainly cut short by his scathing memo if nothing else. He started Monday with Acevedo’s colorful past in California and Texas and ended Friday — though they may have a third inquisition meeting about it, no joke — with a review of his performance since he joined the Miami force in April, including a possible and unreported accident in his police issued vehicle, which is apparently being investigated a second time.
Photographs of the damaged vehicle were displayed like evidence in a courtroom.
This would be especially egregious since Acevedo fired Deputy Chief Ronald Papier and his wife, Little Havana Commander Nerly Papier, for their roles in an alleged cover up of an accident the commander had in her police car.
Russell and others pushed for him to move on.
“What I am not going to do is be a punching bag so all this dirt he’s thrown, they are using it out there to smear me,” Carollo said said. “And this is the only place I can answer from.”
Carollo accused Acevedo of lying about several things and taunted him with his own mantra several times, almost yelling, “You lie. you die.”
Forget the damage to the police vehicle that Acevedo may have not reported (it’s also just as likely he didn’t know he got hit in a parking lot somewhere). Forget the Cuban Mafia comment because it was just a convenient excuse. Forget the selfies and media interviews because, as jealous as they are about the attention Acevedo is getting, it’s not enough for this kind of slash and burn mentality.
What commissioners really don’t like about Acevedo is that he doesn’t put up with their third world Banana Republic boberias. No, he will not investigate your political enemies. No, you cannot talk to commanders and have your critics arrested. No more meddling in internal affairs.
He also disciplined Officer Luis Camacho, a popular cop serving as Sergeant at Arms to Mayor Francis Suarez, who goes with him everywhere, including on vacation in the Keys earlier this year. Photos of Suarez on vacation were leaked to the media and online influencers by a former officer named Frank Pichel, now a private investigator and long shot mayoral candidate, who, sources say, had some contact with Camacho at some point and who is wanted by police for allegedly impersonating an officer (more on that later).
Know more: Chief Art Acevedo fights back, reports misconduct by Miami electeds
Ladra doesn’t know if Camacho and Pichel are friends or if the officer hired the former colleague, now a private investigator, to follow someone he suspected of cheating on him. But apparently the suspicion is that Camacho told Pichel where Suarez and family could be found. That is the “breach of security” which he is accused of.
Suarez, who plucked Acevedo out of the Houston Police Department, has not said a word to defend either the chief or Camacho. But Carollo and Commissioners Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Manolo Reyes are very defensive of Camacho. They have very seriously nice words for him.
One could almost assume that Camacho has something on them.
Ladra hopes the authorities — Acevedo said he was informing the FBI — has reached out to him.
Inquisition of Miami Police chief continues with steps to have him fired added by Ladra on
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