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Inquiry into corporal's conduct leads to dismissal

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published September 10, 2005

CLEARWATER - A veteran patrol officer has been fired after a wide-ranging internal investigation found he battered his girlfriend, did not report a stabbing that he witnessed and regularly associated with criminals, according to documents made public Friday.

The termination of Cpl. John Brown, 38, was effective Thursday evening, after more than 10 months of investigation. Brown, an 11-year veteran who previously had a clean disciplinary record, did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Jon Wasler, president of the Clearwater police officers union, said Brown intends to appeal his firing.

"He was a member in good standing . . . and we have a duty and obligation to represent him accordingly," Wasler said.

The investigation began after a series of allegations surfaced about Brown's conduct.

The department released more than 300 pages detailing various allegations against Brown. Among the substantiated charges:

On July 2, 2003, Brown battered his girlfriend, then coached her to tell responding officers that their argument had only been verbal.

According to witnesses, Brown was seen aggressively pulling a woman toward his vehicle on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard shortly after midnight.

She, meanwhile, tried to free herself from his grasp.

When faced with the allegation that he later coached his girlfriend on how to respond to officers' questions, Brown said, "I . . . I did tell (her) that our incident was verbal. Um, no, I did not tell her to tell the officer that it was verbal only," according to investigative records.

On Feb. 27, 2000, Brown attended a gathering in Marshall Street Park, which later erupted in violence. He witnessed a stabbing and other incidents, but left the scene without providing responding officers with information. Detectives also found he had been associating with known criminals with drug trafficking connections.

From 1997 to 2003, Brown arrested a high number of suspects who were later released on bonds written by one of his friends. He later admitted that he had even called that friend on behalf of suspects who needed the services of a bondsman.

Other allegations, including one report that Brown stopped a man, stole his cash and crack cocaine, then released him without arrest, could not be substantiated.

[Last modified September 10, 2005, 01:22:18]