Miami Beach PD: Miami Officer Arrested On DUI & Drug Charges
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – A City of Miami police officer has been arrested for the second time in the past 10 months.
A Miami Beach Police Department spokesperson said Christopher Vital, 29, was charged with driving with a suspended license, possession of narcotics, DUI, and criminal mischief.
Vital was taken into custody at 4:45 a.m. Thursday morning by Miami Beach police.
According to an arrest affidavit, Vital was seen in a blue BMW speeding past an officer who was responding to an accident on the MacArthur Causeway.
The officer reported following the car at speeds that reached 100 mph.
When the officer conducted the stop, he noticed the driver identified as Vital as possibly being impaired.
A passenger, Stefanie Malvin, 25, was in the vehicle, police said
CLICK HERE to watch Summer Knowles' report
The officer stated Vital had the smell of alcohol coming from him, with blood-shot watery eyes, slurred speech, sweating profusely and was unsteady on his feet.
During the investigation, officers said Vital stated spontaneously, "I just came back to work, I'm taking Citalopram for depression."
A records check revealed Vital had a suspended license and the car had a seizure tag order.
When the officer searched the vehicle, the arrest affidavit said a plastic pill container with marijuana inside.
Also, police reported finding a black back pack in the back seat that contained several plastic bags of heroin and cocaine.
An arrest affidavit revealed the passenger, Stefanie Malvin, possessed two small bags of cocaine and when she reportedly offered for officers to search her purse, they located another bag of cocaine.
She was also arrested and charged with possessing a controlled substance.
During the transport to a holding facility, officers stated in the arrest affidavit that Vital began hitting his head against the vehicle's partition and said, "I'm going to blame you for the injuries on my head, I'm going to say you did this to me and I'm going to hunt you down, you and your family and I'm gonna have your job."
The report also states Vital kicked the passenger side window out of the officer's car.
After arriving at the holding facility, Vital reportedly said, "It doesn't matter what you do to me, as soon as I get out I'm going to shoot myself."
The Miami Beach police spokesperson said Vital was off-duty and was not in a marked unit at the time of the arrest.
Miami Police Department's Major Delrish Moss released this statement: The Miami Police Department frowns upon the behaviors alleged in the arrest of Christopher Vital. As a member of law enforcement, Mr. Vital is held to a high standard and he is now the subject of an internal administrative investigation. He has been relieved of his police duties without pay pending his termination. The American judicial system affords everyone the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and Mr. Vital is no different; however, the Miami police will exercise its right to take appropriate actions based on the administrative findings. This holds true even if he is found not guilty in a criminal proceeding.
Vital was previously arrested and was charged with disorderly intoxication for starting a fight on the stands at Sun Life Stadium during a Dolphins Game on Sunday, November 17, 2013.
"Defendant actively resisted approximately 5 or 6 officers attempting to escort Defendant from the fan seating area. During the course of the struggle one officer injured his knee."
He began to yell at them, "What are you doing, I am a city of Miami Police Officer."
This case was just closed out on July 24, 2104.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench spoke with some of Vital's neighbors in Miramar.
His next-door neighbor Marco Vicente told D'Oench, "I am surprised. He is a quiet, gentle guy. I mean he never even made much noise. They are quite good neighbors. They are gentle and nice to all of my kids and us. Anyone can make a mistake."
Another next-door neighbor who did not want to be identified or have his face shown did want to speak out.
He said, "Upon hearing about this extensive list of charges, I look to say that he deserved to be arrested and have his day in court."
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