I hate to say it, but … okay, not really.
I told you so!
In the real world, police officers don’t get away with lying and committing insubordination.
In the real world, city officials wait until the facts are given to them before rushing to judgement.
In the real world, politicians actually mean it when they insist there will be transparency.
Apparently, in North Miami real world rules don’t apply.
On June 16, 2016, then-Assistant Chief Gary Eugene was finally appointed as the permanent Chief of Police. He immediately made key appointments to his command staff for the purpose of eliminating the destructive and corrupt influence of the self-dubbed Illuminati headed by Assistant Chief Larry Juriga. Within a month of Eugene’s promotion, two new Assistant Chiefs, one Major, two Commanders and two Sergeants were sworn in.
Several members of the Illuminati were not thrilled with the Chief’s appointments. Commander Angel Rivera in particular, had assumed he was next in line for a promotion. Instead, Chief Eugene chose Tim Belcher as his Major, and appointed Emile Hollant and Rafael Estrugo as his new Commanders. Needless to say, Rivera was most likely outraged about being passed over.
As fate would have it, only six days later all hell broke loose when one of Rivera’s SWAT team members, Officer Jonathan Aledda, shot an unarmed black man with his hands up. The incident became an international scandal for the City of North Miami.
Seizing on the opportunity to not let a “good crisis” go to waste, Larry Juriga and Angel Rivera concocted a devious plan to provide cover for Aledda and pin the entire blame on Emile Hollant.
As such, within days of the shooting, the newly appointed Commander was inexplicably suspended without pay for allegedly giving “conflicting information” to the investigators about his involvement in the shooting. Investigators, under the direct supervision of Assistant Chief Larry Juriga, declared that Aledda fired his weapon because Commander Hollant announced over the police radio that one of the men had a gun, even though a second officer quickly shouted over the radio that it wasn’t a gun at all, but a toy truck.
To make matters even worse, several days later city officials held a press conference, rushing to publicly crucify Commander Hollant in the media.
Councilman Scott Galvin was adamant that “this investigation will be done thoroughly and it will be done right. It will be done with transparency and there will not be any coverups in the City of North Miami.”
Without even mentioning the name of the actual shooter, Mr. Galvin went on to trash Commander Hollant, stating that he “totally violated his trust from the public to protect and serve by giving misinformation to this department.”
City Clerk Michael Etienne piped in with, “An officer who betrays the trust of any community, they must be shamed, removed, fired, and of course, completely, completely, lose the right to ever wear an officer’s uniform again.”
Maybe Mr. Galvin and Mr. Etienne should have withheld judgment against Commander Hollant until they had been fully apprised of the facts before they opened their mouths to the press.
For one thing, despite being told to stand down, Larry Juriga and Angel Rivera urged State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle to press criminal charges against Commander Hollant. That move obviously blew up in their faces when, as we reported, two days after they filed their complaint, the State Attorney’s Office issued a Close-Out Memo announcing unequivocally that “Commander Hollant did not lie” about his involvement in the NMPD shooting.
And despite being exonerated by the State Attorney, Commander Hollant has still not been reinstated.
Now, nearly nine months later, the whole truth has finally come out.
Damning new evidence uncovered by both NBC6 and the Miami New Times reveals that there is still rampant corruption in the North Miami Police Department.
Not only did Hollant not lie to investigators, but as the New Times reported, Chief Eugene believes the department is plagued with “infighting, collusion, and incompetence on the part of city officials.”
At the center of all the infighting, collusion, incompetence and corruption is … you guessed it! … Assistant Chief Larry Juriga.
The New Times article posted Chief Gary Eugene’s hour long interview with Florida Department of Law Enforcement Investigators, and reported, “Moments before North Miami police officer Jonathan Aledda shot unarmed behavioral therapist Charles Kinsey this past July 18, another cop on the scene warned there was no gun, only a toy.”
In fact, after hearing the police recording of the incident, Gary Eugene testified, “I heard the sergeant, who advised earlier that it was a toy, say, ‘Hold fire! Hold fire! It was a toy,’ trying to stop whoever was doing the shooting.”
The article also notes, “After the shooting, an assistant chief repeatedly lied to the chief, and the city manager Larry Spring ignored vital evidence. Moreover, the crime scene was mismanaged, and the police department and city government were in disarray and plagued by infighting.”
In the recorded interview with the FDLE, Chief Gary Eugene realized that Juriga repeatedly lied to him, and that Commander Hollant had absolutely nothing to do with Aledda firing his weapon.
Worse, according to the Chief’s interview, when he advised City Manager Larry Spring that an audio from the shooting revealed that several moments before Aledda took the shot, another sergeant on the scene “warns that the man is only holding a toy,” Spring “refused to listen to the audio or to the chief’s warnings.”
The article also reveals, as this blogger has contended from the beginning, that Larry Juriga deliberately botched the investigation and that Emile Hollant’s suspension was “part of a part of a plot by Assistant Chief Larry Juriga, who had an ongoing feud with Hollant.”
The New Times reported, “Eugene says he was so disturbed by Jiruga’s conduct that he moved him from his post leading investigations to another position heading up city code enforcement. That wasn’t the only disturbing thing he learned. Eugene says he soon found out that before Hollant had been suspended, the commander in charge of the scene during the shooting had tried to intimate him into changing his story. That commander urged Hollant to say he had seen the shooting and that the autistic man did seem to be loading a gun. “He talked to Emile prior to the suspension and told him … ‘[By] not saying you saw the guy loading the gun, do you realize that information could have helped my officer?'”
And despite Councilman Galvin’s insistence that “there will not be any coverups in the City of North Miami,” there apparently was collusion that those North Miami police officers “were more concerned about clearing [Aledda] of any wrongdoing than actually getting any impartial investigation.”
And despite City Clerk Etienne’s shaky-fisted remark that “[a]n officer who betrays the trust of any community, they must be shamed, removed, fired, and of course, completely, completely, lose the right to ever wear an officer’s uniform again,” Assistant Chief Larry Juriga still has a job.
When Gary Eugene was appointed as Chief of Police, he fully intended to rid the North Miami Police Department of the rampant corruption that had been allowed to fester under previous administrations. His efforts have been continuously undermined by the Illuminati and their insidious “shadow” control over city officials.
While there is plenty of blame to go around, none of which falls on the shoulders of Chief Eugene, his new appointments, or especially Commander Hollant, drastic action must be taken.
The Mayor and Council now have the proof they need to demand from City Manager Larry Spring an explanation as to why he refused to even listen to the police recording, and insist that Commander Hollant be reinstated immediately.
It is also incumbent upon the elected officials to protect the community from rogue cops. As such, Assistant Chief Larry Juriga and Commander Angel Rivera, who defied direct orders from the Chief and attempted to coerce Hollant into lying, should both be fired for cause.
In the meantime, none of the council members I texted last night had a comment about this story.
Then again, I’m sure they have plenty to think about right now.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall this morning at North Miami City Hall when it all hit the fan.
Stephanie
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BREAKING: NMPD kòmandan Emile Hollant te konfigirasyon pa “vakabon” chèf asistan!
, M ‘rayi yo di ke li, men … oke, pa reyèlman.
Mwen te di nou sa!
Nan mond reyèl la, ofisye lapolis pa jwenn lwen ak kouche ak komèt ensibòdinasyon.
Nan mond reyèl la, lavil ofisyèl rete tann jiskaske bagay ki pase yo bay yo anvan bri nan jijman.
Nan mond reyèl la, politisyen aktyèlman vle di li lè yo ensiste pou di pral gen transparans.
Aparamman, nan North Miami règ mond reyèl pa aplike.
Sou, 16 jen 2016, Lè sa a, Asistan an Chèf Gary Eugene te finalman nonmen kòm Chèf la pèmanan nan Lapolis. Li imedyatman te fè randevou kle nan anplwaye kòmandman l ‘nan bi pou yo elimine enfliyans nan destriktif ak koripsyon nan pwòp tèt ou-yo rele iluminati a gen nan tèt li Asistan an Chèf Larry Juriga. Nan yon mwa nan pwomosyon Eugene la, de nouvo Se te Asistan, youn Gwo, de Kòmandan ak de Sèjan te prete sèman nan.
Plizyè manm nan iluminati yo pa te frisonen ak randevou Chèf la. Kòmandan Angel Rivera an patikilye, te sipoze li te pwochen nan liy pou yon pwomosyon. Olye de sa, Chèf Eugene te chwazi Tim Belcher kòm Gwo l ‘yo, epi yo te nonmen Emile Hollant ak Rafael Estrugo kòm Kòmandan nouvo l’ yo. Evidamman di, Rivera te gen plis chans imilye sou ke yo te pase sou.
Kòm sò ta genyen li, se sèlman sis jou apre tout lanfè kase ki lach lè youn nan manm ekip SWAT Rivera a, Ofisye Jonatan Aledda, ki te tire yon nonm ki san zam nwa ak men l ‘yo. Ensidan an te vin yon eskandal entènasyonal pou vil la nan North Miami.
Pwofite sou opòtinite pou pa kite yon “bon kriz” ale nan fatra, Larry Juriga ak zanj Rivera konkokte yon plan detourne bay kouvèti pou Aledda ak kloure fòt la tout antye sou Emile Hollant.
Kòm sa yo, nan jou ki vini apre tire a, kòmandan an ki fèk nonmen te inèksplikabl sispann san yo pa peye pou swadizan bay “konfli enfòmasyon” nan envestigatè yo sou patisipasyon li nan fiziyad la. Envestigatè, anba sipèvizyon dirèk nan Asistan an Chèf Larry Juriga, te deklare ke Aledda te tire zam li paske kòmandan Hollant anonse sou radyo a lapolis ke youn nan mesye yo te gen yon zam, menm si yon ofisye dezyèm byen vit rele byen fò sou radyo a ke li pa t ‘ yon zam nan tout, men yon kamyon jwèt.
Pou fè zafè menm vin pi mal, plizyè jou apre lavil ofisyèl ki te fèt yon konferans pou laprès, bri nan piblikman kloure sou kwa kòmandan Hollant nan medya yo.
Manm Konsèy Scott Galvin te detèmine ke “pral ankèt sa a dwe fè byen epi li pral fè dwat. Li pral fè ak transparans ak gen pa yo pral nenpòt ki coverups nan Vil North Miami.”
San yo pa menm mansyone non an nan tirè aktyèl la, Mesye Galvin ‘ale nan yon fatra kòmandan Hollant, ki deklare ke li te “totalman vyole konfyans li nan men piblik la pwoteje ak sèvi pa bay move enfòmasyon nan depatman sa a.”
City Grefye Michael Etienne tiyo nan ak, “Yon ofisye ki trayi konfyans nan nenpòt ki nan kominote a, yo dwe wont, yo retire, yo te tire, ak nan kou, konplètman, konplètman, ou ka pèdi dwa a tout tan tout tan mete inifòm yon ofisye nan ankò.”
Petèt Mesye Galvin ak Mesye Etienne ta dwe kenbe jijman kont kòmandan Hollant jiskaske yo te konplètman okouran de reyalite yo anvan yo louvri bouch yo nan laprès la.
Pou yon sèl bagay, malgre yo te di yo kanpe desann, Larry Juriga ak zanj Rivera te mande Pwokirè Eta Katherine Fernandez Rundle peze akizasyon kriminèl kont kòmandan Hollant. Ke deplase evidamman kònen moute nan figi yo lè, menm jan nou rapòte, yo de jou apre yo fin depoze plent yo, Biwo Avoka Eta a bay yon Close-Sòti Memo anonse Kellerman ke “kòmandan Hollant pa t ‘kouche” sou patisipasyon li nan fiziyad la NMPD.
Apre sa, malgre yo te inosante pa Pwokirè Eta a, kòmandan Hollant te toujou pa te retabli.
Koulye a, prèske nèf mwa pita, tout verite a te finalman soti.
Akablan nouvo prèv dekouvri pa tou de NBC6 ak Miami New Times la revele ke gen se toujou rampant koripsyon nan Depatman Lapolis North Miami.
Se pa sèlman t ‘Hollant pa bay manti envestigatè, men kòm New Times la rapòte, Chèf Eugene kwè se depatman an gwo malè tonbe sou ak “infighting, konplisite, ak enkonpetans sou pati nan ofisyèl la.”
Nan sant la nan tout infighting, konplisite, enkonpetans la ak koripsyon se … ou dvine li! … Asistan an Chèf Larry Juriga.
atik nan New Times afiche èdtan long entèvyou Chèf Gary Eugene la ak Depatman Lapolis Envestigatè Florid, ak rapòte, “moman anvan North Miami ofisye lapolis Jonatan Aledda tire san zam terapis konpòtman Charles Kinsey sa a sot pase Jiye 18, yon lòt jandam sou sèn nan te avèti te gen pa gen okenn zam, se sèlman yon jwèt. “
An reyalite, apre yo fin tande anrejistreman an polis nan ensidan an, Gary Eugene di yo: “Mwen tande sèjan an, ki moun ki konseye pi bonè ke li te yon jwèt, di, ‘Kenbe dife! Kenbe dife! Se te yon jwèt,’ ap eseye sispann moun ki te fè fiziyad la.”
Clearly those that held judgment did not know the facts and/or distorted them for their own self-interest. When administrators and investigators do not remain objective this is the result. In this case self interest was the motive for judging in advance and hoping the facts did not prevail. Having been an investigator for more than 20 years in such cases, I know that when others in an agency try to influence an investigation that may harm someone in that agency, something is wrong. Harm to someone who did nothing wrong or harm someone who merits some kind of punishment because they actually did something wrong. In either case, it is likely that the agency has problems of a greater depth. Any agency who serves the public must be honest with the people it serves and fair to those employed by them to serve the public. I can understand competing for positions in an agency but when that turns into some perverse actions that includes lying, coercion and ulterior motives, that becomes at the very least violations of agency policies and at worst a crime. This based on what I have read, looks like a crime.
Kudos Stephanie!
I love you.
Good reporting.
The dirty truth of the set up of Commander Emil Hollant is revealed. Obviously politics played the opportunity to get Hollant suspended despite the overwhelming evidence that he had no role in the incident. Once the State Attorney Office cleared him of any wrong doing in the incident, North Miami Police should have immediately reinstated him back to duty and given him a public apology. Apparently dirty politics and revenge is the name of the game in North Miami.
I have known Commander Hollant for over 25 years. His character, integrity, work ethics and honesty are extraordinary. He would never compromise these attributes for anyone. Even when asked to lie to protect a fellow officer, he refused. Asst Chief Juriga , Angel Rivera and City Manager Larry Spring abused their authority and were intently malicious in their wrongfully actions against Commander Hollant. The re-instatement of Commander Hollant and the firing of Assistant Chief Juriga, Swat Commander Angel Rivera should be fired and all findings sent to FDLE for de-certification. City Manager Larry Spring should be terminated. City Clerk Michael Etienne should be reprimanded for his slanderous comment that clearly has no merit. Councilman Scott Galvin needs to follow through and right the wrong that was done to Commander Hollant. It’s strange that a city manager takes the inappropriate action against a commander and ignores the police chief. Isn’t it the police chiefs responsibility to take action against his subordinates not the city manager? North Miami Police Dept needs to be cleaned up. Let Chief Eugene do his job. City Hall needs to support their Chief, not undermine him nor should they bless a cover-up by Asst Chief Juriga, Commander Rivera and City Manager Spring. Any wrong doing has consequences. The public will be watching along with Law Enforcement. The re-instatement of Commander Hollant should be done immediately and without hesitation!!!!!!!!
Very sad that this is what occurs within a department that is suppose to be protecting the public. I wonder how often are they not turning on each other.
This matter is being dragged on in hope it can be forgotten by the public and buried under the rug.
“We are very close to coming to a decision”???
Let me help you along. REINSTATE HOLLANT!!
Issue a very humble public apology, fire the corrupt parties and get on with keeping North Miami citizens safe. How’s that?
Impressive reporting Stephanie! This is the first article I’ve read of yours and how refreshing it is to see some actual reporting, unbiased and truthful. I wish you all the best and hope they can sort out that mess in North Miami.
It sounds so outlandish and extravagant that it could be made into a movie! As they say, truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case it sounds like a lot of the movies that feature corruption in city departments and are enthralling, and most often these movie are based on actual events. Here’s another script that writes itself.
I hope that stranglehold of the “Illuminati” figures can be broken and order restored, the guilty parties getting what’s coming to them.
Thanks for your work and dedication, and keep it up!
I could not make this stuff up! Thanks for the kudos. Much appreciated!!!