But a sheriff's deputy stands by his accusation that the Largo officer used unnecessary force against the deputy's girlfriend.
By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE
Published May 5, 2004
LARGO - Largo police internal affairs investigators have cleared an officer accused by a Pinellas sheriff's deputy of using excessive force.
In a report released Tuesday, Sgt. Michael Loux, an investigator for Largo internal affairs, said he found nothing to believe that Officer Frank Schelah or other officers "acted in any way which was outside the scope of their lawful duties."
Pinellas sheriff's Deputy Louis Evans has threatened to file a lawsuit against Largo police after officers responded to Evans' house last October. Evans said he called police after his girlfriend's son made a disturbance.
Evans accused Schelah of using unnecessary force against his girlfriend during the incident by pulling her hair and punching her in the face. Evans also said that he was wrongfully arrested on a charge of resisting arrest without violence and domestic battery.
The charges later were dropped, and an internal affairs investigation by the Sheriff's Office exonerated Evans, an 11-year veteran.
The report by Largo internal affairs said Schelah used appropriate force on Evans' girlfriend because she was punching other officers at the time. Evans said Schelah had no justifiable provocation to use force and denied seeing his girlfriend punch anyone.
Schelah admitted hitting her and pulling her hair, the report said. But Schelah did so to incapacitate or restrain the woman, and such force was necessary, the report said.
Schelah and Evans could not immediately be reached for comment. Evans' attorney, John Trevena, said he isn't surprised that internal affairs cleared Schelah.
"The real insult, aside to the insult to my client, is to Sheriff Everett Rice," said Trevena, who said Evans stands by his accusations and still plans to sue. The Sheriff's Office "cleared my client. So one of these two law enforcement agencies is wrong."
