Last year, two deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office were caught assaulting a robbery suspect at a Deerfield Beach gas station. The entire altercation was caught on camera. Surveillance footage shows one officer punching the suspect, David Gonzalez, in the face and then slamming him into the ground with help from his partner. One of the deputies claimed that Gonzalez resisted arrest, while the other stated that he had raised his hand and lunged at the officers. None of this was actually depicted in the video.
David Gonzalez walked away from the incident with a broken eye socket, broken facial bones and ongoing back pain. Now, a year later, he is still undergoing various medical treatments as a result of the violent attack. His wife further explains that David hasn’t been able to get all of the necessary operations yet. Rudenberg and Glasser, P.A., is hoping to change that. Our firm is currently representing Mr. Gonzalez in a lawsuit against the Broward Sheriff’s deputies, which was recently filed in federal court.
“If you or I engaged in the conduct these officers engaged in, I can tell you with 100% certainty, having done this for a while, that these would absolutely be charged as a felony, felony battery, aggravated battery, take your pick,” stated Attorney Michael Glasser. The two deputies have only been charged with misdemeanor offenses—including one count of battery and two counts of falsifying police reports—as a result of this police brutality incident, and both are still being paid while serving their suspensions.
Even Broward Sheriff Scott Israel supports the decision to criminally charge the two deputies. “Unfortunately, from time to time you have these incidents, and we don’t do everything right, and we make mistakes,” he explains. He fully supports the state attorney’s decision to file charges. After the criminal trial is over, an internal affairs investigation will be launched, and the Sheriff will have the final say as to whether or not the two deputies will keep their jobs with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
You can learn more about this case by reading the full article on NBC 6 South Florida.