By now everyone has heard that North Miami Chief of Police Gary Eugene has been handed his walking papers.
Literally.
Although city officials are not releasing the details of the separation agreement they proffered, Mr. Eugene was kind enough to give me an interview.
Among the terms of the proposed settlement is a monetary payment equal to approximately six weeks’ worth of his salary, or a paltry $12,000.00.
If that’s not crazy enough, they expect him to sign a confidentiality agreement.
HUH?
Apparently City Manager Larry Spring and City Attorney Jeff Cazeau never got the memo that there are Sunshine Laws in the State of Florida, and that any information that public servants are privy to is also subject to public records. Their attempt to place a gag order on an public employee about public matters flies in the face of Florida Statute 119.
Which begs the question … What are they trying to hide?
Well, wonder no more. The blogger has the dirt.
North Miami city officials would have you believe that they released every single document regarding the Internal Affairs investigation of Commander Hollant that was initiated in response to last summer’s shooting of Charles Kinsey by NMPD SWAT team member Jonathan Aledda.
They would have you believe that their so-called “transparency portal” contains every last shred of information for public consumption in order to justify the end results of the police department’s IA investigation, which was to try to fire Commander Hollant by any means necessary.
There’s only one problem. There are two documents that no one at City Hall or the Police Department want the media to even know about, much less obtain copies of.
As fate would have it, the blogger received copies of these documents last week from Chief Eugene, who had no idea he was going to be fired on Thursday morning when he returned from his pre-authorized medical leave.
He also gave me permission to use them, if necessary.
Oops!
Before he left for his medical leave, he advised his staff that he would deal with Hollant’s IA investigation when he returned. Unfortunately, he left the fox Assistant Chief Larry Juriga in charge of the henhouse police department.
During Eugene’s two week absence, Team Juriga quickly scrambled to wrap up the witch hunt IA investigation, leak the report to the Miami Herald, and deliver to Commander Hollant the Notice of Intent to Terminate and Right to Pre-Determination Hearing a scant fourteen hours before Eugene was scheduled to return to work.
Not only did Team Juriga rush to get Hollant fired before the Chief returned, but they also completely disregarded the written recommendations of Hollant’s immediate supervisors, Major Tim Belcher, who recommended that Hollant be demoted (not terminated) and Assistant Chief Neal Cuevas, who recommended no action. These memos were then delivered to Chief Eugene.
In glorious, and painstaking detail, Assistant Chief Cuevas shredded the bogus findings of the IA Disposition Panel and literally a drove Mack truck through its gaping holes.
Anyone who reads his memo will clearly see that the members of the panel twisted themselves into pretzels trying to cherry pick comments from interviews, taking words out of context, and jumping to completely illogical conclusions in order to fit their predetermined narrative – that Hollant would be the fall guy for the shooting.
As we’ve already pointed out on several occasions, Assistant Chief Cuevas’ memo reiterates the findings of the State Attorney’s Office that there is absolutely no evidence that Commander Hollant lied about his involvement in the shooting.
Team Juriga would have you believe that Hollant did not “announce himself as a witness,” when, as Assistant Chief Cuevas stated, Hollant’s name was listed on the North Miami Police Department’s Crime Scene Entry Sheet, along with every other law enforcement officer present at the scene.
The IA Disposition Panel would have you believe there are witnesses who testified that Commander Hollant lied when he insisted he left the scene to get his binoculars and did not witness the actual shooting. Yet, not one person interviewed by the FDLE or even IA investigators personally testified that they saw Hollant at the moment the shots were fired.
As Assistant Chief Cuevas pointed out, special attention should be paid to the testimonies of Sergeant Milton Reid and Officer Alens Bernadeau.
Reid, who was standing next to Hollant before and after the shooting, said to IA investigators, “And then I lost track of him because I’m focusing on the targets and then I see Hollant come back with binoculars…”
If Hollant never left Reid’s side to get his binoculars, how did Reid see him “come back” with them? Where was he coming back from?
Assistant Chief Cuevas also noted that Officer Bernadeau, who was located approximately 170 feet south of where Hollant and Reid were located, initially told FDLE that he did not notice any officers north of him, only “a bunch of marked police vehicles.” When asked which officers he saw, he replied, “I’m not – who was who…,” as indicated in Assistant Chief Cuevas’ memo. He also testified that “he was moving from pole to pole to get a better visual” and then he “heard two shots.”
When interviewed by Internal Affairs if he saw Hollant “prior to the shooting or after the shooting,” Bernadeau responded with, “No, it – it’s – it was prior to and after.”
When asked by IA investigators if he believed Hollant witnessed the actual shooting, he replied with, “I mean I believe he should have from – from his – from his – his – his angle but I’m not sure if – if at that time he was looking or not, but I think he should have.”
WAIT, WHAT?
Did the IA Disposition Panel really sustain the bogus allegations made against Commander Hollant based on the the testimonies of Sergeant Reid, who lost track of Hollant and saw him come back with his binoculars, and Officer Bernadeau, who was 170 feet away from Hollant and admitted he had no idea “who was who” among a sea of police cars?
Folks, I couldn’t make this stuff up!
But, don’t take my word for it. You can read all the witness interviews for yourselves online at the so-called “transparency portal.”
Not only did Team Juriga ignore the written recommendations of Commander Hollant’s supervisors, but it appears they also conspired with city officials to bury those memos from the media.
Especially Miami Herald reporters, Lance Dixon and Charles Rabin.
Obviously, Team Juriga were hoping that the memos written by Major Belcher and Assistant Chief Cuevas would never see the light of day.
Oops!
Without further ado, here they are:
Now it’s the media’s turn to ask city officials why these documents were not included on it’s not-so-transparent “transparency portal.”
While the rest of us enjoy our popcorn.
Stephanie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NMPD: ranje a se nan, Chèf nan vin nan bwat, medya yo vin bay manti a!
Depi kounye a tout moun te vin konnen North Miami Chèf Lapolis Gary Eugene te lage papye mache l ‘yo.
Literalman.
Malgre ke lavil ofisyèl yo pa divilge detay yo nan akò a separasyon yo présenté, Mesye Eugene te kalite ase yo ban m ‘yon entèvyou.
Pami kondisyon ki nan règleman an pwopoze a se yon peman monetè egal a vo apeprè sis semèn ‘nan salè l’ yo, oswa yon miserable $ 12,000.00.
Si sa a pa fou ase, yo espere l ‘nan siyen yon akò konfidansyalite.
Huh?
Aparamman City Manadjè Larry Spring ak Vil Pwokirè Jeff Cazeau pa janm te resevwa memo an ke gen Lwa Sunshine nan Eta Florid la, e ke nenpòt enfòmasyon ki moun k’ap sèvi piblik yo okouran tou se sijè nan dosye piblik. tantativ yo nan plas yon lòd Bayonne sou yon anplwaye piblik sou zafè piblik ta vole nan fè fas a Florid Lwa 119.
Ki amèn kesyon an … Ki sa ki nou jwenn ap eseye kache?
Oke, mande pa plis. Blogger an gen pousyè tè a.
North Miami lavil ofisyèl ta gen ou kwè ke yo lage chak dokiman sèl konsènan ankèt la zafè entèn nan kòmandan Hollant ki te inisye an repons a tire an ete dènye a nan nan Charles Kinsey pa NMPD SWAT manm ekip Jonatan Aledda.
Yo ta gen ou kwè ke sa yo rele “Portal transparans” yo gen chak ti kras sot pase yo nan enfòmasyon pou konsomasyon piblik yo nan lòd yo jistifye rezilta yo fen nan ankèt IA polis depatman an, ki te pou yo eseye dife kòmandan Hollant pa nenpòt vle di sa nesesè.
Genyen sèlman yon sèl pwoblèm. Gen de dokiman ki pa gen yon nan City Hall oswa Depatman Lapolis vle medya yo nan menm konnen sou, anpil mwens jwenn kopi.
Kòm sò ta genyen li, Blogger a te resevwa kopi dokiman sa yo semèn pase a soti nan Chèf Eugene, ki moun ki te gen okenn lide li te ale nan dwe revoke nan Jedi maten lè li te retounen soti nan kite pre-otorize li medikal.
Li te tou te ban m ‘pèmisyon sèvi ak yo, si sa nesesè.
Wouch!
Anvan li te kite pou konje medikal l ‘yo, li te konseye baton l’ ke li ta fè fas ak ankèt IA Hollant la lè li te retounen. Malerezman, li te kite rena Asistan an Chèf Larry Juriga a an chaj nan depatman an poulaye lapolis.
Pandan absans de semèn Eugene la, Ekip Juriga byen vit grenpe moute vlope moute ankèt la sòsyè lachas IA, genyen fuit rapò an nan Miami Herald la, epi bay li nan kòmandan Hollant Avi sou entansyon mete fen ak Dwa a Pre-Detèminasyon tande yon ensifizan katòz èdtan anvan Eugene te pwograme pou li retounen nan travay.
Se pa sèlman t ‘Ekip Juriga prese a jwenn Hollant te tire anvan Chèf la tounen, men yo menm tou konplètman dezobeyi rekòmandasyon yo ekri nan sipèvizè imedya Hollant la, Gwo Tim Belcher, ki moun ki rekòmande pou Hollant dwe transfere (pa sispann) ak Asistan an Chèf Neal Cuevas, ki moun ki rekòmande pa gen okenn aksyon. memo sa yo te Lè sa a, lage nan Chèf Eugene.
Nan bèl pouvwa, ak rigoureux detay, Asistan an Chèf Cuevas graje konklizyon yo ki fos nan IA Dispozisyon panèl la ak literalman yon te kondwi Mack kamyon nan twou bayman li yo.
Nenpòt ki moun ki li memo l ‘yo va wè klè ke manm yo nan panèl la trese tèt yo nan pretzels ap eseye Cherry chwazi kòmantè nan entèvyou, pran pawòl soti nan kontèks, ak sote nan konklizyon konplètman lojik yo nan lòd yo anfòm naratif Predetermined yo – ki Hollant ta dwe nèg la tonbe pou tire an.
Kòm nou te deja vize deyò nan plizyè okazyon, memo Asistan an Chèf Cuevas ‘rebay sa yo jwenn nan Biwo Avoka Eta a ki gen absoliman okenn prèv ki montre kòmandan Hollant bay manti sou patisipasyon li nan fiziyad la.
Ekip Juriga ta gen ou kwè ke Hollant te deklare ke li pa t ‘ “anonse tèt li kòm yon temwen,” lè, kòm Asistan an Chèf Cuevas deklare, non Hollant la te site sou Krim sèn Antre Fèy Nò Depatman Lapolis Miami an, ansanm ak tout ofisye ki fè respekte lalwa lòt prezan nan sèn nan.
IA Dispozisyon panèl la ta gen ou kwè gen temwen ki temwaye ke kòmandan Hollant bay manti lè li te ensiste pou l di li te kite sèn nan yo ka resevwa longvi l ‘, li pa t’ temwen fiziyad la vrè. Men, pa gen yon sèl moun entèvyouve pa FDLE la oswa menm IA envestigatè pèsonèlman temwaye ke yo te wè Hollant nan moman sa a vaksen yo te revoke.
Kòm Asistan an Chèf Cuevas vize deyò, yo ta dwe atansyon espesyal, ki dwe peye nan temwayaj yo nan Sèjan Milton Reid ak Ofisye Alens Bernadeau.
Reid, ki moun ki te kanpe akote Hollant anvan ak apre tire a, di IA envestigatè, “Lè sa a mwen pèdi tras nan l ‘, paske mwen konsantre sou objektif yo ak Lè sa a mwen wè Hollant tounen vini ak longvi …”
Si Hollant pa janm kite bò Reid a yo ka resevwa longvi l ‘yo, ki jan Reid t’ wè l ‘ “tounen vin” avèk yo? Kote yo te li vini tounen soti?
Asistan an Chèf Cuevas tou te note ke Ofisye Bernadeau, ki moun ki te chita apeprè 170 pye de kote Hollant ak Reid te sitiye nan sid, okòmansman te di FDLE ke li pa t ‘avi nenpòt ofisye nan l’ nò, sèlman “yon pakèt moun sou machin polis ki make.” Lè w mande ki ofisye li wè, li te reponn, “mwen pa – ki moun ki te ki …,” jan sa endike nan memo Asistan an Chèf Cuevas ‘. Li te tou temwaye ke “li te deplase soti nan poto al pòl yo ka resevwa yon pi bon vizyèl” ak Lè sa a li “tande de vaksen.”
Lè entèvyouve pa zafè entèn si li wè Hollant “anvan fiziyad la oswa apre tire a,” Bernadeau reponn ak, “Non, li – li a -. Li te anvan ak apre”
Lè yo te mande pa IA envestigatè si li kwè Hollant temwen tire aktyèl la, li te reponn ak, “Mwen vle di mwen kwè li ta dwe gen nan – soti nan li – soti nan li – li – ang l ‘, men mwen pa fin sèten si – si nan tan sa a li te kap oswa ou pa, men mwen panse ke li ta dwe gen. ”
Tann, ki sa?
Èske IA Dispozisyon panèl la reyèlman kenbe siksè akademik akizasyon yo fos fè kont kòmandan Hollant ki baze sou temwayaj yo yo nan Sèjan Reid, ki te pèdi tras nan Hollant li wè l ‘tounen vini ak longvi l’ yo, ak Ofisye Bernadeau, ki te 170 pye lwen Hollant ak admèt li te gen okenn lide “ki moun ki te ki moun ki” nan mitan yon lanmè an machin polis?
Folks, mwen pa t ‘kapab fè bagay sa a moute!
Men, pa pran pawòl mwen pou li. Ou ka li tout entèvyou yo temwen pou nou sou entènèt la nan sa yo rele “pòtal la transparans.”
Se pa sèlman t ‘Ekip Juriga inyore rekòmandasyon yo ekri nan sipèvizè kòmandan Hollant a, men li parèt yo menm tou yo konplo ak ofisyèl vil la antere moun memo soti nan medya yo.
Espesyalman Jounal Miami Herald repòtè yo, Lance Dixon ak Charles Rabin.
te Mak Vann la fwa yo Biscayne tou yo te refize kopi.
Li evidan, Ekip Juriga te gen espwa se memo yo ekri pa Gwo Belcher ak Asistan an Chèf Cuevas pa ta janm wè limyè a nan jounen an.
Wouch!
San yo pa plis tarde, isit la yo se:
Kounye a li nan la a medya tounen vin jwenn mande lavil ofisyèl poukisa dokiman sa yo pa te enkli sou li nan pa-konsa-transparan “transparans Portal.”
Pandan ke rès la nan nou jwi pòpkòn nou an.
Stephanie
A sad and unfortunate situation!
Looks as if the innocent got fired and the criminals are left in charge. The ones to be fired are the city manager, deputy city manager, Asst Chief Juriga and anyone else involved in th I A that recommended Holliant be fired. I’ll go further and say that fired isn’t good enough, they should all be arrested and put behind bars, fined 1 million each and never be allowed to wear a badge or serve in Government again.
I couldn’t agree more. Criminals are running the police department. Unfortunately, if high ranking police officers are willing to frame a fellow police officer, just imagine how far they’d go to destroy the lives of civilians who piss them off. That’s pretty scary.
The SAO should pull all the IA’s done in North Miami and check to see of this same thing has happened to others. I’ll bet my ass that it sure has. I am sure we will find that other officers have had their reputations damaged severely and paid a hefty price to keep the criminals in charge. The Feds or SAO need to take action here otherwise this behavior will spread rampantly throughout Dade County.
Larry Spring & Larry Juriga are the reasons I don’t feel safe in North miami anymore. They are more concerned with covering the city’s ass than getting the truth! They owe the commander and the chief apologies AND THEN SOME. They really think they use the Kinsey shooting as a scape goat to clean house of all the Haitians in office in North Miami.