Two Orlando police officers who were fired last year after an internal investigation concluded that they tried to cover up an unauthorized vehicle chase in 2015 have been reinstated.
Officers Michael Favorit Jr. and Frederick Rolle were fired on June 29th 2016, for their conduct on December 28th 2015, when the two officers started to follow a Jeep.
The officers are reported to have not used lights or sirens when they pursued the Jeep and they never informed dispatchers of the chase. The officers later reported the Jeep as a stolen vehicle and drove it to a liquor store after finding it abandoned in a field, which obviously tainted a crime scene. Rolle never mentioned the chase when he filed his report.
The Orlando Police Department said that the officers will be back at work next month.
“The city and officers tentatively agreed to settle the arbitration by reinstating the officers to duty. Both parties agreed to a total of 248 hours of suspension in lieu of termination for the offenses they were sustained on. The officers will retain their seniority; however, they will not be given back pay. The decision made in the settlement is final and binding on both parties and the grievance shall be considered permanently resolved,” The Orlando Police Department said.
The officers will now be required to attend mandated training in order to return to the force, according to Orlando Police Department. However their next assignments will be based on current vacancies in the department.
Source: clickorlando.com