Gables Cop Surrenders, Is Officially Arrested

Lt. Edward Napoleon Claughton, 39, turned himself in to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and was officially arrested Nov. 13 following allegations that he had been violent with a Marathon resort employee, according to Coral Gables Police.

Claughton initially found himself on the wrong side of the law after he allegedly battered hotel employee Justin Ahearn Oct. 10 after luring Ahern back to work with promises of a tip. His is charged with one misdemeanor count of battery, touch or strike, according to Martin County Corrections documents.

Monroe County Assistant State Attorney Leroy Costner said there is a maximum penalty of a year in jail and or $1 thousand.

Ahearn, who asked that the name of his employer not be revealed, said he was surprised with the whole ordeal.

"I didn't expect that," Ahearn told CBS4 Gio Benitez Nov. 13. "Do normal people do that? I don't do that kind of thing. It's crazy. Stuff like this doesn't happen in the Keys. Then I found out about the position he is in. It's crazy."

Ahearn, 25, only found out that Claughton is veteran cop after the alleged attack.

"These are people who are supposed to protect and serve, and this is the opposite of what his job is," Ahearn said.

Claughton was at the hotel vacationing with his wife and children.

"I was told I was going to get a tip," Ahearn said. "I came back to work to get a tip. I was shoved across the parking lot. I was astonished. I get tips. That's what happens in my line of work. He started shoving me and he punched me in the face."

Ahearn told detectives he might have been sarcastic with Claughton, but he has no idea what set the attack off.

"We were talking about a spearfish trip that I just got back from him and showing his kids some of my fish and equipment," he said. "Everything seemed fine."

A witness at the hotel backs up Claughton's story. Usmay Torres told investigators in Monroe County that Claughton "went on top of him (Ahearn), pushing him numerous times, attempting to hit him in the face, yelling and calling him verbally abusive names."

Claughton, who was relieved of duty with pay pending the investigation, is no stranger to the news. He has appeared on CBS4 on three different occasions to comment about high-profile Coral Gables cases.

The arrest warrant adds, "Torres claims that Ahearn never tried to hit Claughton, only defend himself. Torres went on to write that Ahearn actually put his hands behind his back and told Claughton to go ahead and hit him if he wanted to, that he would not fight back."

Ahearn said that one blow to his face cut his lip and caused bleeding inside his mouth.

"I know if I did something," Ahearn said, "there is a consequence to every action and I know in my life, if I did anything wrong, I had to be accountable for it."

CBS4's Peter D'Oench stopped at Claughton's home to try to get a comment, but when he knocked, someone inside the home drew the blinds.