Hispanic officers allege mistreatment in Miami Gardens, call for chief's removal

Miami Herald

6 days ago

Five Hispanic male police officers have notified Miami Gardens that they intend to file a class-action whistleblower lawsuit claiming they were the targets of racial discrimination.
The Miami Gardens officers — who said they were suspended or demoted after filing complaints of unfair treatment with the city — have also demanded the termination of Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt, named the city's first female Black chief in the largest Black majority city in Florida in 2017.
'The current police chief is out of control in terms of the mistreatment and abuse of officers, in particular Hispanic officers and officers who complain about wrongdoing,' Attorney Michael Pizzi said from a conference room at his Miami Lakes law office Wednesday, four of the five officers at his side.
Miami Gardens police officers Juan Gonzalez, Christian Vega, Francisco Mejido, Rudy Hernandez and Sgt. Pedro Valdes all said they were retaliated against by command staff after questioning promotions, discipline and how rules are enforced internally.
Federal complaint filed
The officers have already filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Under federal law, the EEOC has up to 180 days to conduct an investigation into claims of discrimination or it must issue a notice of right to sue, allowing the officers to seek damages through a lawsuit. A whistleblower lawsuit can be filed in 30 days after giving the city notice.
Sgt. Valdes claims he was relieved of duty for six months, forced to sit home 10 hours a day with pay — without any type of explanation.
'I was told, go home. No cause,' Valdes said. 'It's demoralizing because I have family members, including my wife, who's a police officer there. To play with our emotions and mental state for no reason — it's not right.'
Miami Gardens Police executive officer Emmanuel Jeanty wouldn't go into detail about the reasons Valdes was relieved of duty, but said it was 'false' that the officer wasn't given a reason.
'He was informed and signed paperwork,' Jeanty said.
The city did not comment on the officers' accusations when asked Wednesday. The police department, however, stood behind its decisions involving them.
'As the chief of police, I have every right to make the transfers or demotions that I see fit,' Noel-Pratt said.
Miami Gardens, with a population of 110,000, is 71% Black and 26% Hispanic, according to the city's website. The police department's officers, in comparison, are 48% Black and 36% Hispanic as of 2024, according to data from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Claims of demotions, harassment, abuse
The officers claimed the targeted harassment campaign by the department left them with severe mental and emotional stress, even PTSD. Pizzi noted that some of the officers who served in the U.S. military were shocked and appalled that interactions with fellow officers were where they experienced trauma, not on the battlefield or on the streets fighting crime.
Valdes, a 17-year Miami Gardens police veteran, said he was relieved of duty for six months without explanation and was only recently reinstated last week.
Valdes said he had led a violent crime unit credited with reducing crime by 14%, only to be abruptly removed and reassigned. He also alleged that the department has systematically replaced experienced Hispanic and white officers with younger Black officers.
Officer Francisco Mejido, a 13-year Miami Gardens police veteran, said his K-9 partner was taken away and he was removed from the unit after a minor body camera violation — even though his replacement had the same infraction.
'I had to break that news to my two young kids, to my wife,' Mejido said. 'Ever since then, the agency has come after me with multiple forms of discipline.'
He also spoke of a broader issue of inconsistent disciplinary practices and favoritism within the department.
Officer Juan Gonzalez, a 12-year Miami Gardens police veteran, described being reprimanded for speaking to other Hispanic officers at a crime scene.
'I was scolded for talking to Hispanic officers on scene,' Gonzalez said. 'I was followed by my supervisor in a threatening manner, in a hostile fighting position, with both fists clenched.'
Gonzalez said he was demoted and removed from a federal task force assignment, resulting in a loss of income.
The officers say their complaints to internal affairs, the city manager and human resources have been ignored. Now, they're turning to the courts.
'They've all stood up and complained,' Pizzi said. 'And they've all been targeted as a result of their complaints.'
Miami Herald staff writer Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report.