MIAMI’S WORST The tangled tale of Javier Ortiz, Miami’s untouchable police union boss. BY JOSHUA CEBALLOS O 6 6 n September 13, Miami Police De- partment (MPD) Chief Manuel Morales did what many had asked for but no one expected: he fired one of the department’s most con- troversial officers, Javier Ortiz. Ortiz had been with MPD since 2004. Over the course of his career, he received more than 50 citizen complaints, had 20 use of force incidents, and was suspended with pay three times, all the while ascending through the ranks to become an influential police captain. Claims of abuse of power, corruption and prejudice fol- lowed the longtime police union leader for years and made him a household name in the Miami area, perhaps more so than any other MPD officer. His career survived multiple in- ternal affairs investigations, which tended to dawdle past their completion deadlines and often yielded no disciplinary action. Ortiz was suspended in 2020 pending a probe into current and former MPD sergeants’ claims that he had “engaged in a pattern of abuse and bias against minorities.” But he was back on the beat by February 2021, cementing his reputation for bouncing back from serious allegations. In the end, a seemingly innocuous investigation into al- leged improper overtime practices led to Ortiz’s termination. New Times has covered the officer’s exploits for a decade, chronicling everything from his infamous Beyoncé boycott to the investigation into his alleged misconduct by the FBI. We’ve collected the stories in chronological order for easy access, so inquiring minds can trace the controversial cap- tain’s rise and fall. (To find links to all of these stories, point your web browser to https://bit.ly/javi-ortiz.) 2013 Ultra Fest Beatdown Allegations (February 11) In a lawsuit against MPD (one of many involving Ortiz), Jesse Campodonico claimed that at Ultra Music Festival in 2011, the police union leader and other off-duty offi- cers assaulted him during a dispute over him and his girl- friend being denied entry to the festival. The officers beat him, choked him, and tasered him three times when he was already on the ground, according to the lawsuit. Claiming It Was Teen’s Fault That Police Killed Him (August 15) After Miami Beach Police fatally wounded teenage graf- fiti artist Israel “Reefa” Hernandez with a taser, Ortiz, who was president of the Miami Fraternal Order of Po- lice, came out with a letter saying the teen victim had no one to blame but himself. Good Cops Need Not Apply (August 22) In a political stunt just ahead of contract negotiations with the City of Miami, Ortiz posted a video to his union’s official YouTube channel telling good police candidates to stay away from MPD. 2014 Ultra Fest Settlement (April 9) Ultra Music Festival’s insurer entered into a $400,000 settlement with Jesse Campodonico arising out of the al- leged assault by Ortiz and other off-duty officers. More Cops at Festivals (April 23) On the heels of the Ultra Fest settlement, Ortiz urged City of Miami commissioners to replace civilian security guards at the festival with Miami cops who would receive overtime pay and get to pat down festivalgoers. Another Dead Teen to Judge (December 10) Just before a protest in memory of tagger Israel Her- nandez, police chased and hit young graffiti artist, Del- bert “Demz” Rodriguez, with an unmarked squad car, leaving him with injuries that would later lead to his death. Responding to outcry over the incident, Ortiz gave a public statement saying it was the young COP >> p8 SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 5, 2022 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS |miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com miaminewtimes.com
