rockin'robin
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2007
- Messages
- 24,418
- Reaction score
- 551
Flagler Beach police lieutenant released on bail; no other arrests reported
Charges of police brutality against a veteran Northeast Florida lawman include allegations that other officers witnessed repeated abuse, though no others have been charged, police records show.
Lt. Robert Wayne Milstead, 55, of the Flagler Beach Police Department was released from jail Monday night on $105,000 bail. He is charged with abuse of a disabled adult and battery.
Milstead is charged with throwing a 46-year-old disabled motorist from his car, handcuffing and pepper-spraying him during a traffic stop in 2008. He also is charged with pepper-spraying a handcuffed 40-year-old man involved in a domestic squabble. That man accuses Milstead of using several racial slurs against him in the 2009 case, a charging affidavit shows.
Milstead, a 32-year police veteran, has been on paid leave since March 12 from the small coastal police department that hired him in 2007, said Donna Kearney, administrative assistant to Chief Dan Cody. Kearney said she was authorized to speak for the chief, who is on medical leave.
Milstead was put on leave after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation began, Kearney said. It’s unclear what led to the investigation. An FDLE spokeswoman said other officers gave statements supporting the abuse claims.
Kearney described the mood at the 14-member police department as “harried.”
In both cases, at least one unidentified officer witnessed the incidents, the report said. Kearney said she is unaware of any other officers being under investigation.
The affidavit said Milstead stopped a vehicle being driven by David Bellish in Flagler Beach in April 2008 after Bellish backed into another car. Bellish repeatedly told Milstead he couldn’t get out of his vehicle without his cane, which he’d been using since being injured in a 1999 traffic crash.
Bellish and an unidentified officer said Milstead jerked Bellish from the vehicle, threw him to the ground and handcuffed him. They said Milstead ordered Bellish to stand, but he repeated that he needed his cane. He was then jerked to his feet and ordered to walk. When he didn’t move, Milstead “dropped” Bellish to the ground and pepper-sprayed him, the affidavit said.
Milstead and Bellish could not be reached to comment Tuesday.
In the second incident, Milstead was off-duty and in his own vehicle when he responded to a disturbance in Flagler Beach in November 2009. An unidentified officer on the scene said Charles Bernard Jackson was upset that his girlfriend was using drugs in front of his children. Jackson began cursing at his girlfriend and Milstead threatened to take Jackson to jail if he didn’t calm down.
A few minutes later, Jackson began yelling at his girlfriend again. Milstead took the other officer’s handcuffs and put them on Jackson, who was then placed in a patrol car. Jackson began yelling and said that Milstead repeatedly cussed at him and used a racial slur.
At one point Jackson threatened to spit on Milstead. Milstead took the officer’s pepper spray and used it on Jackson twice, the affidavit said. It’s unclear if Jackson was charged. He could not be reached to comment Tuesday.
FDLE officials declined to comment on their investigation.
FDLE: Officers watched abuse of handcuffed men by veteran Northeast Florida cop | jacksonville.com
Charges of police brutality against a veteran Northeast Florida lawman include allegations that other officers witnessed repeated abuse, though no others have been charged, police records show.
Lt. Robert Wayne Milstead, 55, of the Flagler Beach Police Department was released from jail Monday night on $105,000 bail. He is charged with abuse of a disabled adult and battery.
Milstead is charged with throwing a 46-year-old disabled motorist from his car, handcuffing and pepper-spraying him during a traffic stop in 2008. He also is charged with pepper-spraying a handcuffed 40-year-old man involved in a domestic squabble. That man accuses Milstead of using several racial slurs against him in the 2009 case, a charging affidavit shows.
Milstead, a 32-year police veteran, has been on paid leave since March 12 from the small coastal police department that hired him in 2007, said Donna Kearney, administrative assistant to Chief Dan Cody. Kearney said she was authorized to speak for the chief, who is on medical leave.
Milstead was put on leave after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation began, Kearney said. It’s unclear what led to the investigation. An FDLE spokeswoman said other officers gave statements supporting the abuse claims.
Kearney described the mood at the 14-member police department as “harried.”
In both cases, at least one unidentified officer witnessed the incidents, the report said. Kearney said she is unaware of any other officers being under investigation.
The affidavit said Milstead stopped a vehicle being driven by David Bellish in Flagler Beach in April 2008 after Bellish backed into another car. Bellish repeatedly told Milstead he couldn’t get out of his vehicle without his cane, which he’d been using since being injured in a 1999 traffic crash.
Bellish and an unidentified officer said Milstead jerked Bellish from the vehicle, threw him to the ground and handcuffed him. They said Milstead ordered Bellish to stand, but he repeated that he needed his cane. He was then jerked to his feet and ordered to walk. When he didn’t move, Milstead “dropped” Bellish to the ground and pepper-sprayed him, the affidavit said.
Milstead and Bellish could not be reached to comment Tuesday.
In the second incident, Milstead was off-duty and in his own vehicle when he responded to a disturbance in Flagler Beach in November 2009. An unidentified officer on the scene said Charles Bernard Jackson was upset that his girlfriend was using drugs in front of his children. Jackson began cursing at his girlfriend and Milstead threatened to take Jackson to jail if he didn’t calm down.
A few minutes later, Jackson began yelling at his girlfriend again. Milstead took the other officer’s handcuffs and put them on Jackson, who was then placed in a patrol car. Jackson began yelling and said that Milstead repeatedly cussed at him and used a racial slur.
At one point Jackson threatened to spit on Milstead. Milstead took the officer’s pepper spray and used it on Jackson twice, the affidavit said. It’s unclear if Jackson was charged. He could not be reached to comment Tuesday.
FDLE officials declined to comment on their investigation.
FDLE: Officers watched abuse of handcuffed men by veteran Northeast Florida cop | jacksonville.com