Opa-locka fires police sergeant accused of deploying Taser on fellow officer
MIAMI - An Opa-locka police sergeant has been fired after an internal investigation revealed he deployed a Taser inside the city's police department, injuring a fellow officer during a shouting match.
Sergeant Sergio Perez was charged criminally for the incident, but the charges were dropped in January.
An internal affairs investigation into what happened continued finding multiple violations by the sergeant.
Perez was informed of his firing on Monday afternoon.
"I accepted the recommendation of Chief Ottley to terminate Mr. Sergio Perez," said Darvin Williams, Opa-locka City Manager, who confirmed Wednesday morning Perez will no longer be part of this city's police department.
"His actions endangered his fellow officers and injured one of them," said Kenneth Ottley, Chief of Opa-Locka Police Department.
According to a police report, in September 2021, then-captain Perez walked into the building and tased Sgt. Michael Steel. The police department initiated an internal investigation and according to a report, Steel repeatedly told Perez that he did not want to be tased.
The department's investigation was paused when Perez was criminally charged for his actions but resumed once the case was dropped in January.
"Our investigation found seven policy violations when he inappropriately discharged his taser inside the police department causing injury to a fellow officer," said Ottley.
CBS News Miami reached out to Perez, who responded with a statement alleging the department is retaliating:
"Just last week, I reported criminal conduct to include missing evidence to the internal affairs captain. Unfortunately, the police chief and city manager have turned the blind eye to the corruption that I have reported."
The former HR director, city manager, and then police chief testified that I was demoted for this event, but as a measure of retaliation, I am being 'disciplined' again as they are doing everything to avoid exposure and facing the music."
In 2013, Perez was fired by the city's police department after being accused of taking part in a wrong-way chase on I-95 that ended in a crash, killing four tourists from California.