At least 4 Florida deputies fired after body cam cover-up during out-of-county arrest
New details from the internal investigation were released on May 6
By Gulf Coast News
Click here for updates on this story
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Florida (WBBH) — New details from the internal investigation were released on Tuesday, after at least four Charlotte County deputies were fired for failing to activate body cameras, mislabeling videos, and neglecting to file use-of-force reports during a February arrest in Sarasota County.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office’s 21-page internal affairs investigation report, a bondsman was searching for a woman with an active warrant after receiving information that she may be at a homeless camp near Englewood Hospital late at night on Feb. 4.
The bondsman asked for help from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, which then reached out to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The CCSO deputies—Corporal Russell Epeards, DFC Sean O’Keefe, Deputy Daniel Wilson, and DFC Timothy DeGrasse responded to the scene.
While the woman was not found, deputies encountered Brian Berk, a man they say had in active warrant. The deputies say Berk ran from the scene and was physically detained using hands-on force and Tasers.
Nine days after the incident, an employee flagged that Body Worn Camera (BWC) videos may be improperly labeled, as there appeared to be uses of force involved as well as an arrest related to the above-mentioned case in Sarasota County.
The internal affairs investigation was launched after a records supervisor discovered that BWC videos tied to the incident were mislabeled as “false activations,” despite capturing the use of force.
The internal investigation also revealed the deputies had not activated their cameras when they arrived and delayed turning them on for nearly an hour until Tasers were used. Additionally, no official reports were filed about the incident at the time.
The body-worn cameras were only activated by taser activations by O’Keefe and Wilson, except for DeGrasse, who pushed the button to start recording when the suspect ran away.
The video descriptions in the report detail that multiple deputies are seen pursuing and attempting to arrest Berk, in a wooded tent camp area. Several videos begin with no sound due to pre-event recording delays.
O’Keefe is repeatedly heard using foul language directed at the suspect both during and after the arrest. Several deputies have their Tasers drawn and activated.
Video captures include Wilson placing a Taser on Berk’s collarbone and O’Keefe continuing to use fowl language toward the suspect. Deputies ultimately secure Berk in handcuffs. The footage shows some deputies—such as Underwood — remaining near the tent entrance during the encounter.
According to the report, “Wilson stated he did not complete a Show of Force report. When asked why, he stated he had no answer why. Wilson stated there was discussion of labeling the BWC videos as false activations. Being the new guy, he stated he followed in line with this action.”
The investigation ultimately revealed multiple policy violations, including failure to activate BWCs, improper Taser use, failure to report use-of-force incidents, and conduct unbecoming of law enforcement officers.
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell released a statement Monday stating four deputies had the “appointments withdrawn,” however, the investigation cites violations by five deputies. Gulf Coast News reached out to the sheriff’s office for clarification on the actions taken.
All five deputies involved acknowledged their misconduct during interviews as part of the internal investigation.
Violations by each deputy included:
– Deputy Daniel Wilson: Failed to activate BWC, improperly deployed Taser against suspect’s chest, did not file a Show of Force report, mislabeled video. – DFC Timothy DeGrasse: Failed to activate BWC, did not report hands-on force, falsely labeled video to avoid documentation. – DFC Sean O’Keefe: Failed to activate BWC, used excessive foul language at the suspect, did not report Taser deployment or force used, mislabeled video. – Cpl. Russell Epeards: Failed to activate BWC, did not supervise his team appropriately, did not ensure proper documentation, and allowed group consensus to mislabel videos. – DFC Jacob Earner: Failed to activate and label BWC, did not submit a Use of Force report. – In the public statement, Prummell confirmed that he had terminated at least four deputies involved in the cover-up.
“I have always said that the trust our community has in us is integral to the work we do. Unfortunately, four individuals violated that trust recently, and when that happens, I must act,” Prummell said. “There was a conscious effort to conceal the incident for no other reason than laziness, which is where the integrity issue came in and ultimately resulted in the withdrawal of appointments.”
Prummell emphasized that the dismissals were not due to the arrest itself but rather to the deputies’ failure to report the incident properly and their collective effort to hide their actions.
He said, “Without integrity, you simply cannot work in law enforcement… at least not under my watch.”
Cpl. Paul Underwood, also present at the scene, was not found to have committed any policy breaches.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
