Chief: Officer's 'Shove-Case' Punishment Probably Too Lenient
POSTED: Monday, April 7, 2008
UPDATED: 7:46 am EDT April 14,
2008
 "He was rushing me out of the club," Asprilla said. "I was going down the stairs and the next thing I knew, he pushed me and I was on the floor." |
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Punishment for an Orlando officer caught on video pushing a woman down some stairs was probably too lenient, the city's police chief admitted Monday.
IMAGES:Woman Pushed Down Stairs
Local 6 originally showed video of Jessica Asprilla, 27, being pushed down some steps by Officer Fernando Trinidad, who was working off duty at the now-defunct Club Paris in downtown Orlando.Asprilla said she gave Trinidad "some lip" and stuck her tongue out at him before being pushed down the stairs. She was charged with battery on the officer after the incident.Asprilla then faced up to five years in prison based on Trinidad's sworn statement that she spat on him.However, once prosecutors saw the video, the charges were dropped.Some were outraged after seeing the controversial video, especially after it gained national attention last week.Trinidad only received an eight-hour suspension for discipline.Orlando police Chief Val Demings broke her silence about the tape and video Monday."Was eight hours appropriated for such an offense?" Demings said. "Probably not. But to suggest that I'm responsible for some cover up as it pertains to this investigation gives sensationalism new meaning."Other media reported comments from a local civil rights activist who suggested that there was some sort of cover-up in the case.Local 6 did not report the comments because there was no evidence backing the claim, Local 6's Tony Pipitone reported.Pipitone also said that Demings recently "opened up" internal affairs books and Local 6 found that Trinidad could not be disciplined for the false report allegation because the officer wasn't informed prior to his interview that he was being investigated for a false report. He was only told he was being investigated for conduct unbecoming and that is why Demings could only discipline him for conduct unbecoming.Pipitone then asked Demings if termination was a possibility."Her answer suggested that if she had tried to terminate him for violating only conduct unbecoming standards, there could have been litigation to result or arbitration to result where that decision could be overturned because that is a stiff penalty for someone who is only guilty of unbecoming conduct," Pipitone said.Trinidad remains on patrol in Orlando.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
IMAGES:Woman Pushed Down Stairs Local 6 originally showed video of Jessica Asprilla, 27, being pushed down some steps by Officer Fernando Trinidad, who was working off duty at the now-defunct Club Paris in downtown Orlando.Asprilla said she gave Trinidad "some lip" and stuck her tongue out at him before being pushed down the stairs. She was charged with battery on the officer after the incident.Asprilla then faced up to five years in prison based on Trinidad's sworn statement that she spat on him.However, once prosecutors saw the video, the charges were dropped.Some were outraged after seeing the controversial video, especially after it gained national attention last week.Trinidad only received an eight-hour suspension for discipline.Orlando police Chief Val Demings broke her silence about the tape and video Monday."Was eight hours appropriated for such an offense?" Demings said. "Probably not. But to suggest that I'm responsible for some cover up as it pertains to this investigation gives sensationalism new meaning."Other media reported comments from a local civil rights activist who suggested that there was some sort of cover-up in the case.Local 6 did not report the comments because there was no evidence backing the claim, Local 6's Tony Pipitone reported.Pipitone also said that Demings recently "opened up" internal affairs books and Local 6 found that Trinidad could not be disciplined for the false report allegation because the officer wasn't informed prior to his interview that he was being investigated for a false report. He was only told he was being investigated for conduct unbecoming and that is why Demings could only discipline him for conduct unbecoming.Pipitone then asked Demings if termination was a possibility."Her answer suggested that if she had tried to terminate him for violating only conduct unbecoming standards, there could have been litigation to result or arbitration to result where that decision could be overturned because that is a stiff penalty for someone who is only guilty of unbecoming conduct," Pipitone said.Trinidad remains on patrol in Orlando.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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