Well-known Fort Lauderdale detective fired after investigation
A well-known Fort Lauderdale Police detective was fired after an investigation revealed that he used police databases to search his ex-girlfriend and her family and made conflicting statements about a tracker found on the woman's car.
As a recruiting officer for the department, Henry Lockwood III often served as the face of Fort Lauderdale Police. He helped lead efforts to advertise the department to Spring Breakers, as the South Florida Sun Sentinel previously reported, mentored youths and spoke about the force on national television.
'We want to make sure we increase in community engagement. The more we engage with them, the less problems we know we have,' Lockwood told the Sun Sentinel during the Spring Break initiative.
According to a Fort Lauderdale Police internal affairs report obtained by the Sun Sentinel, Lockwood has been terminated from his job after his ex-girlfriend raised concerns with the Coconut Creek Police Department about a tracker on her car.
During an August 2024 interview with an officer in Coconut Creek, the ex-girlfriend said she and Lockwood had parted ways in April that year. She went to the police, she said, 'as she was 'scared' and wanted to 'have it documented in case anything was to escalate from this situation,'' according to the report.
Two days after the interview, a Coconut Creek Police investigator followed up at a local Hyundai dealership where the woman had asked for help in finding a tracker. She did so, she told police, because 'on two occasions she noticed that her ex-boyfriend showed up to different locations without her telling him where she was. She found that suspicious,' the Fort Lauderdale Police internal affairs report says.
When the woman returned to the dealership to retrieve her car, the GPS tracking device was missing, prompting an employee to review the dealership's video. It was then, according to the internal affairs report, that the employee and the ex-girlfriend 'observed an unknown male walk into the service bay' toward the area where the car was located. The man was then observed leaving the service bay 'carrying the GPS tracking device in his hands.'
The woman told employees she knew the man on the video. The dealership's video cameras showed it was Lockwood who walked in wearing plain clothes to retrieve the device. He was on duty at the time, the report says.
Interviewed later by Fort Lauderdale Police investigators, Lockwood initially denied placing the tracker on the car but later admitted to it when speaking to a supervisor. Then he denied it again, saying someone else had placed it there.
Asked by Fort Lauderdale investigators why he had removed his uniform shirt while at the dealership, he replied: 'Because at that time I was not in any official capacity.'
Lockwood also used police databases at least 26 times between April and August of 2024 to conduct searches on his ex-girlfriend and people in her life, including her brother, friends and a former boyfriend, according to the report.
The investigation found Lockwood violated multiple department policies, including conduct unbecoming an officer and misuse of law enforcement authority or position.
Misuse of police databases for personal reasons can lead to criminal penalties, depending on how the information is used.
On Aug. 29, the report says, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department's office of internal affairs referred the case to the public corruption unit of the State Attorney's Office, which 'declined to review it.'
Neither the former girlfriend nor the car dealership wanted Lockwood to be prosecuted, according to the report.
'Honestly, I just want this to go away,' the woman is quoted as telling a Coconut Creek officer. 'I don't want Henry to be in any type of trouble. I don't want him — his job to be on the line — his career. I just want us to go our separate ways. So, he continues his life. I continue my life and we just be done with it. No criminal charges, no consequences. I just wanted this to be documented. And that's pretty much it.'
The dealership told police that it did not want to press any charges.
On March 5, Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Walter Schultz signed a 'disciplinary recommendation' of termination.
The records show Lockwood has been represented by attorney Eugene Gibbons of Fort Lauderdale through the Fraternal Order of Police.
A phone message left with Gibbons' office Monday evening was not returned. The police union did not respond to an emailed message seeking comment.
This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
12 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
South Florida Michelin-star chef, formerly of 42 grams in Chicago, charged with second violent domestic assault
WEST PALM BEACH — A renowned Michelin-star chef based in South Florida with former ties to Chicago is charged with a brutal assault on a woman that left her in critical condition with bleeding in her brain. Jacob Bickelhaupt, 41, a co-founder of Konro in West Palm Beach, had a well-known history of domestic violence. He had pleaded guilty in 2017 to attacking his ex-wife and business partner in Chicago, leading to widespread public backlash across the city and the closure of his Michelin-starred restaurant 42 Grams. But Bickelhaupt's career bounced back after his move to South Florida, where he earned another Michelin star and where, he told the Sun Sentinel in 2022, he was working on himself and making 'amends' for his past behavior. 42 grams chef battered his ex-wife. Now he has filed a $250,000 defamation lawsuit against the chef is charged with another violent domestic assault that left a woman in the intensive care unit in need of emergency surgery. He faces felony counts of aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability and battery causing bodily harm. The victim, who also worked with Bickelhaupt, had collapsed while having a seizure at a Palm Beach International airport ticket counter as she was trying to purchase a flight to Denver, Colo., according to a probable cause affidavit. Had she gotten on the flight, doctors later told her family, she would probably have died. 'They caught her in the nick of time,' her sister said. Paramedics rushed her to St. Mary's Medical Center, where she told Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies that she had been in a car accident. But medical staff told deputies that the woman's injuries were not consistent with a car accident. She had two blackened eyes, facial swelling, bruising from shoulders to wrists, and a subdural hematoma requiring emergency surgery, according to the affidavit. Eventually, she gave a sworn statement to police, where she said that Bickelhaupt had attacked her for two hours as she tried to escape. The attack had begun when she approached him, asleep, on the couch in the early hours of the morning, trying to get him to come to bed, she said, according to the affidavit. They began to argue, and she went back to the bedroom. He followed her, then began to punch her in the face and kick her, causing her to fall to the floor. When she tried to crawl away, he continued to attack her. When West Palm Beach Police officers visited the victim's home later, they found blood splatter in multiple rooms, on bedding, walls, and furniture, according to the arrest report. When the attack was over, the victim managed to get a rideshare to the airport, where she planned to return to Denver, where she had grown up. At the hospital, the woman immediately identified Bickelhaupt as her attacker, but was unable to write her own name or sign the paper because of her 'physical condition rapidly deteriorating,' according to the affidavit. She required emergency surgery for the brain bleed and had an irregular heartbeat. Bickelhaupt was taken into custody the same day. He invoked his Miranda rights and requested his attorney when approached by police. Following a court appearance on June 3, Bickelhaupt was found indigent and granted a public defender. His bond was set at $90,000 along with a no-contact order with the victim, GPS monitoring, and a no-weapons order. He remained in the Palm Beach County jail as of Wednesday afternoon, according to inmate records. Bickelhaupt had initially gained fame with the Chicago-based restaurant 42 Grams, which earned two Michelin stars. Then, exactly eight years ago on June 4, 2017, he was charged with drunkenly attacking his ex-wife, Alexa Welsh, grabbing her by the hair and throwing her to the ground, then striking her with a glass bottle of sparking water. Her injuries required staples, according to Eater Chicago. 'Violence is a cycle. How does the saying go?' Welsh told the Sun Sentinel on Wednesday. ''Those who do not learn history …' I sent [the victim] a message of support. I hope she's able to make a full recovery.' Court documents reveal domestic violence past of 42 Grams chefBickelhaupt was arrested in the 2017 attack on a charge of domestic battery, which was then downgraded to simple battery, to which he pleaded guilty. He was released a month later. 'What I did was a very situational, passionate, alcoholic long story,' he told the Sun Sentinel for a profile in 2022. 'It was horrible, and it never should have happened, and what I did was 100 percent wrong. And that's why I'm trying to make amends to all that stuff. I'm going to live with what I did forever. I punish myself more than anyone else can punish me, I promise you that.' After the attack and the ensuing backlash, he moved to West Palm Beach in 2022 and co-founded Konro, which earned its own Michelin star in 2025. In response to questions about Bickelhaupt, Michelin said in a statement Wednesday that it 'firmly condemns all acts of violence, aggression and harassment, which violate fundamental human rights and severely impinge on the values of an entire profession. Since its inception in 1900, The MICHELIN Guide's purpose has been to provide consumers with dining recommendations enabling them to enjoy high-quality food and drink. Above all, the Guide recognizes collective achievement by awarding distinctions to restaurants rather than to chefs.' Asked whether Bickelhaupt would have his star for Konro removed, the organization said 'MICHELIN Stars are annual distinctions and therefore our Inspectors revisit the restaurants annually. At this time, Konro has been listed as temporarily closed on our website as we update all restaurants in real-time.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rodent droppings atop ice machines, floors covered with ‘slime-like substance': 2 South Florida restaurants shut
Two Palm Beach County restaurants temporarily shut by the state last week had one common issue: rodent droppings on top of their ice machines. Other violations included flies buzzing around a dish-washing area, a lack of hand washing, and floors covered with a 'slime-like substance.' Meanwhile, in Broward County, no restaurants were forced to close because of emergency orders. The South Florida Sun Sentinel typically highlights restaurant inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We cull through inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for 'high-priority violations,' such as improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches. Live roaches in donut prep area, 'dead roaches in spider webs' in kitchen: 2 South Florida restaurants shut Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up. If you spot a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR. (But please don't contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn't inspect restaurants.) AJ's American Grill 6316 Lantana Road, Lake Worth Ordered shut: May 28 Why: 20 violations (10 high-priority), including: About four rodent droppings in kitchen 'on top of ice machine' and 'under sink in dish-washing area.' About 10 live flies in kitchen 'in dish-washing area landing on trash can, walls and shelves used to store clean and sanitized dishes' and 'in dry storage area landing on sealed boxes.' 'Server wiped mouth with hand and, without washing hands, server handled tin foil lid to cover to-go container of cooked lobster.' 'Employee handled visibly soiled sanitizer cloth to wipe down table and, without washing hands, employee handled clean and sanitized dishes.' 'Employee entered kitchen through back door and, without washing hands, employee began to handle containers of food at cook line.' Time/temperature issues involved mozzarella, Swiss, cheddar and American cheeses, cooked pasta and rice, Philly steak meat, raw steak, cooked chicken, cooked peppers, cooked mashed potatoes and french onion soup. Floors under dish-washing areas covered with a 'slime-like substance.' Status: Reopened May 29 after a follow-up inspection found no violations. CocoCabana Bar & Grill 2944 S. Jog Road, Greenacres Ordered shut: May 27 Why: Six violations (three high-priority), including: About 17 rodent droppings in kitchen 'under canned goods storage shelves' and on top of and under ice machine, as well as at the bar 'on drip mat with clean and sanitized mini buckets used to serve iced beers' and 'under soda dispenser gun station.' Rodent rub marks in 'kitchen hole in the wall next to ice machine and canned goods storage rack.' 'Raw pork stored directly above open bucket of plantains' in reach-in cooler. Time/temperature issue involved 'large bin of white rice' in reach-in cooler. Status: Reopened May 28 after a follow-up visit found no violations.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Well-known Fort Lauderdale detective fired after investigation
A well-known Fort Lauderdale Police detective was fired after an investigation revealed that he used police databases to search his ex-girlfriend and her family and made conflicting statements about a tracker found on the woman's car. As a recruiting officer for the department, Henry Lockwood III often served as the face of Fort Lauderdale Police. He helped lead efforts to advertise the department to Spring Breakers, as the South Florida Sun Sentinel previously reported, mentored youths and spoke about the force on national television. 'We want to make sure we increase in community engagement. The more we engage with them, the less problems we know we have,' Lockwood told the Sun Sentinel during the Spring Break initiative. According to a Fort Lauderdale Police internal affairs report obtained by the Sun Sentinel, Lockwood has been terminated from his job after his ex-girlfriend raised concerns with the Coconut Creek Police Department about a tracker on her car. During an August 2024 interview with an officer in Coconut Creek, the ex-girlfriend said she and Lockwood had parted ways in April that year. She went to the police, she said, 'as she was 'scared' and wanted to 'have it documented in case anything was to escalate from this situation,'' according to the report. Two days after the interview, a Coconut Creek Police investigator followed up at a local Hyundai dealership where the woman had asked for help in finding a tracker. She did so, she told police, because 'on two occasions she noticed that her ex-boyfriend showed up to different locations without her telling him where she was. She found that suspicious,' the Fort Lauderdale Police internal affairs report says. When the woman returned to the dealership to retrieve her car, the GPS tracking device was missing, prompting an employee to review the dealership's video. It was then, according to the internal affairs report, that the employee and the ex-girlfriend 'observed an unknown male walk into the service bay' toward the area where the car was located. The man was then observed leaving the service bay 'carrying the GPS tracking device in his hands.' The woman told employees she knew the man on the video. The dealership's video cameras showed it was Lockwood who walked in wearing plain clothes to retrieve the device. He was on duty at the time, the report says. Interviewed later by Fort Lauderdale Police investigators, Lockwood initially denied placing the tracker on the car but later admitted to it when speaking to a supervisor. Then he denied it again, saying someone else had placed it there. Asked by Fort Lauderdale investigators why he had removed his uniform shirt while at the dealership, he replied: 'Because at that time I was not in any official capacity.' Lockwood also used police databases at least 26 times between April and August of 2024 to conduct searches on his ex-girlfriend and people in her life, including her brother, friends and a former boyfriend, according to the report. The investigation found Lockwood violated multiple department policies, including conduct unbecoming an officer and misuse of law enforcement authority or position. Misuse of police databases for personal reasons can lead to criminal penalties, depending on how the information is used. On Aug. 29, the report says, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department's office of internal affairs referred the case to the public corruption unit of the State Attorney's Office, which 'declined to review it.' Neither the former girlfriend nor the car dealership wanted Lockwood to be prosecuted, according to the report. 'Honestly, I just want this to go away,' the woman is quoted as telling a Coconut Creek officer. 'I don't want Henry to be in any type of trouble. I don't want him — his job to be on the line — his career. I just want us to go our separate ways. So, he continues his life. I continue my life and we just be done with it. No criminal charges, no consequences. I just wanted this to be documented. And that's pretty much it.' The dealership told police that it did not want to press any charges. On March 5, Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Walter Schultz signed a 'disciplinary recommendation' of termination. The records show Lockwood has been represented by attorney Eugene Gibbons of Fort Lauderdale through the Fraternal Order of Police. A phone message left with Gibbons' office Monday evening was not returned. The police union did not respond to an emailed message seeking comment. This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
