2019 Police Harass Veteran Officer (March 11) After retired MPD officer Nestor Garcia visited the department’s internal affairs division to read up on Ortiz’s case file, he received threats on a police gossip blog that his every move was being watched. Excessive Force Case Moves Forward (March 15) An appellate panel found that Ruben Se- bastian had adequately pleaded a case for excessive force against Ortiz in connection with Sebastian’s 2015 arrest. The appeals court allowed Sebastian to move forward with the lawsuit in which alleged he had been detained on false charges and injured by excessively tight handcuffs. Alleged Wrist-Breaking During Basel (July 22) Melissa Lopez complained to Miami’s Civil- ian Investigative Panel that Ortiz pushed her to the ground, causing her to break her wrist after she asked Ortiz why he was arresting her boyfriend during Miami Art Week. UM Overtime Under Wraps (August 26) The University of Miami refused to turn over documentation to the Civilian Investi- gative Panel in its inquiry into a claim that Ortiz was receiving too much overtime pay for a security job at the university. Sebastian Settles Excessive Force Claims (October 18) The City of Miami ended a years-long court battle by settling with former Miami- Dade County security guard Ruben Sebas- tian for $65,000 in his lawsuit alleging abuse at the hands of Ortiz. 2020 “I’m A Black Male” (January 17) In a move that put him in the national spotlight, Ortiz, a white-Hispanic officer, claimed during a city meeting that he was a Black man or “negro” under the “one drop rule,” an antiquated racial classifica- tion system. NAACP Disturbed By Ortiz (January 21) After Ortiz publicly claimed he was Black, and apparently wrote as much on official documentation, the Miami-Dade chapter of the National Association for the Ad- vancement of Colored People called Ortiz’s comments “downright disturbing.” Suspended Again (January 22) In the second paid suspension of his career, Ortiz was relieved of duty following his public assertion that he is a Black man, though MPD did not give an exact reason for his suspension. Lopez Injury Photos Released (January 25) After further investigation by the Civilian Investigative Panel, photos were released of injuries that Melissa Lopez suffered when Ortiz allegedly pushed her to the ground. Whistleblower Alleges Widespread Corruption (November 12) Former MPD detective Luis Valdes sued the police department, claiming wide- spread corruption within its ranks, includ- ing Capt. Ortiz, whom he accused of conspiring against Valdes for calling out a crooked sergeant. No Discipline (November 13) Leadership from Miami’s Black police union complained to internal affairs that Photo by Bill Cooke after Ortiz claimed to be Black on official documentation to get a leg up on promotional exams, the department took no action. Campaigning From Home (December 3) Even a yearlong suspension couldn’t keep Ortiz away from the police union. Relieved of duty since January 2020, Ortiz began a campaign to regain his spot as Miami Fra- ternal Order of Police president. 2021 Failed Election Bid (January 13) Ortiz’s campaign for the police union posi- tion while suspended didn’t work out, as he lost his bid for the Miami Fraternal Or- der of Police presidency to incumbent Tommy Reyes. $100,000 Settlement (January 27) Yet another settlement over Ortiz’s alleged misconduct cost the City of Miami big money, this time $100,000 in taxpayer dol- lars. The claimant was Melissa Lopez, who had accused Ortiz of knocking her to the ground and breaking her wrist during Mi- ami Art Week. Back on the Beat (February 22) A year after he was suspended, Ortiz was re- turned to duty full-time, with his legal coun- sel saying he had been fully exonerated. FBI Investigation (March 24) As it turned out, Ortiz’s 2020 suspension stemmed from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the FBI into current and for- mer MPD officers’ complaint that Ortiz had “engaged in a pattern of abuse and bias against minorities, primarily African Americans.” The FBI did not pursue crimi- nal charges against Ortiz. Meanwhile, FDLE issued a 53-page report detailing how internal affairs investigations into the officer often went nowhere because they were not completed within the 180-day al- lowable timeframe. Saddled With Body Camera (July 27) Miami’s new police chief at the time, Art Acevedo, claimed Ortiz wouldn’t be able to wiggle out of trouble under his watch, and assigned the controversial captain a body- worn-camera. Whistleblower Claims (October 12) Ortiz sought out whistleblower protections tied to his filing of a complaint regarding the MPD power couple of Ronald and Nerly Papier, which may have contributed to their temporary termination. Third Time’s a Charm? (October 21) Having been back on the force for only a short period of time, Ortiz was suspended yet again in 2021 by interim police chief Manuel Morales. Cop Claims MPD Leaders Act Like Crime Bosses (November 8) Yet another veteran officer of MPD came out with complaints against Ortiz and other high-ranking members of the department. Sgt. Edwin Gomez filed a federal lawsuit claiming Ortiz harassed him and made his life “a living hell” in retaliation for his par- ticipation in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into Ortiz. 2022 Panel Recommends Termination (July 15) In the leadup to Ortiz’s firing, a panel of MPD top brass recommended terminating the captain’s employment following an in- quiry into claims that he had sergeants un- der his command sign off on his overtime sheets. The recommendation was rejected by a disciplinary review board. Lawsuit Claims MPD Investigation Unfair (August 9) Now backed by another police union, the South Florida Police Benevolent Associa- tion, Ortiz sued MPD for allegedly violat- ing his rights by improperly conducting the overtime investigation. Fired Over Overtime (September 13) In an unexpected move, despite a disci- plinary review board advising against Or- tiz’s termination, Chief Morales made his own choice and officially fired Ortiz, end- ing his 18 long years on the force. After more than a decade of allegations of abuse and misconduct, it was an investigation into overtime pay practices that brought Ortiz down. His attorney, Griska Mena, characterized the firing as politically moti- vated and vowed to fight to reinstate Ortiz. To find links to all of these stories, point your web browser to https://bit.ly/javi-ortiz. [email protected] 9 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | NEW TIMES SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 5, 2022
