The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A police sergeant videotaped punching and kicking a handcuffed man in February should be fired, his chief says.
Sgt. David F. Leal, 41, has been on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
The man who was beaten, Dale S. Whisman, refused to press charges for what officials are calling excessive force, documents show.
The FBI investigated possible civil rights violations and the State Attorney’s office investigated it as a battery case, but both declined to file charges.
The videotape was made public Monday.
Leal, a 14-year veteran, is seen on police videotape Feb. 20 hitting Whisman three times in his stomach. He also kicked the 41-year-old Whisman once in the stomach, according to Leal’s report. He told internal affairs investigators he hit Whisman because he was trying to get him to spit out suspected crack cocaine.
In declining to prosecute, Whisman told investigators both he and Leal “made mistakes,” according to police records.
In a memo to City Manager Kurt Bressner, Chief Marshall Gage recommended that Leal be fired. Bressner has the final decision.
“We will not support a fellow officer for such wrongdoing,” Gage said.
Calls to Leal’s attorney, Lawrence K. Fagan, were not returned.
Although Leal told investigators he believed his actions were justified and legal, he expressed regret, documents show.