4 Miami Police Officers To Be Terminated After Internal Investigation

The City of Miami has begun termination proceedings against four police officers after the completion of an internal investigation, a news release says.

According to Miami City Manager Jeff Bishop, the officers are to be terminated for violating internal department policies and procedures, but he didn't disclose which ones.

"Our police department has policies and procedures in place that guide how officers interact with each other," he said in a statement. "After receiving the results of an internal investigation conducted by a third party, it was determined the officers in question had violated these policies and procedures. As a result, they have been terminated by the department."

Intention to terminate the officers was made public on Wednesday.

"Our police department has policies and procedures that must be followed," mayor Rudy Schultz said in a statement. "This action shows the emphasis the city places on upholding the professional standards of our police force."

The city cited personnel privacy policies, claiming they protect the names of the officers terminated and keep them private.

Officials said the officers technically still are on administrative leave until the effective date of the separation. The officers have 10 days to appeal the termination proceedings.

6/25/2014 Related Story: Attorney: Dash cam Video Leads To Suspension Of 3 Miami Police Officers

Three Miami police officers were suspended in October 2013 and a fourth the next month after dash cam video at an alleged DUI stop didn't support what was written in the arresting officer's report.

An attorney obtained the video through subpoena and shared it exclusively with News On 6 last year.

In the dash cam video from an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper's car, you can hear the trooper turn on his lights as he follows a suspected drunk driver. Once the truck pulls over, a Miami police officer gets out of her car and approaches Jerry Payne's truck.

Payne's attorney, Josh Lee, said the police report didn't mesh with the video.

Watch the dash cam video here

The police report said the driver got out of his truck, which video disputes, Lee said. Moments later, the trooper is seen pulling Payne out of the truck.

The report says Payne's face was scratched when he was pushed to the ground. Lee, however, believes the driver's injuries came when a Miami police officer ran and kicked Payne in the face so hard his head snapped back.

Payne's DUI charges ultimately were dropped after the trooper's video came to light.

"Dash cam is the only thing that's going to try to set the record straight," Lee said. "I am such a believer in them because of things like this, and because I think the public has to know what their government is doing."

Bishop told the Miami News-Record that "while the Payne case brought to light problems with the officers, the firings are not directly related to the case."

The paper also reports that three more Miami officers were placed on leave pending the results of an internal investigation in January 2014.

Officials tell News On 6 that at this time, no one is on leave except those with pending terminations.