Miami Police Captain Suspended With Pay For Third Time: Report

Miami FL

22 October, 2021

4:55 PM

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MIAMI, FL — A controversial Miami police captain has been suspended with pay for the third time in his career, Miami New Times reported. Captain Javier Ortiz, the former president of the Fraternal Order of Police union, was suspended Thursday during an ongoing internal affairs investigation. Miami City Manager Art Noriega wouldn't disclose the reason for the internal investigation, the Miami Herald reported. During his 17-year career, Ortiz racked up 49 citizen complaints and 19 use-of-force incidents, Marc Caputo, a reporter with Politico tweeted. His attorney, Richard Diaz, told the New Times that he doesn't know the reason for his client's current suspension and believes Ortiz is being retaliated against after making a whistleblower complaint again Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo. The attorney called the suspension "Miami banana-republic, small-town politics at its best — worthy of a Netflix series." Another Miami attorney, Michael Pizzi, said he's not surprised by Ortiz's suspension, which he said comes not long after he filed a lawsuit against the city on behalf of Edwin Gomez claiming the police captain harassed the Hispanic sergeant, the Herald reported. Pizzi said he also alerted the city to a second lawsuit that's pending. This second suit claims Ortiz also harassed Keandra Simmons, a Black female police major.