5 days ago
MDSO deputy accused of choking woman he met at E11even Miami cleared of charges
A Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputy accused of attacking a woman he met at the popular Miami nightclub E11even in late April is now cleared of his criminal charges.
On Monday, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office announced 54-year-old Lt. Daniel Chala would not be prosecuted due to the victim's not cooperating with the police investigation.
'After numerous attempts to get the victim to cooperate with the SAO for the necessary pre-filing conference (a necessary part of every filed felony prosecution), the victim refused to assist with the case investigation. This resulted in the dropping of the pending criminal case,' said the statement released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade deputy accused of attacking woman he met at E11even nightclub, police say
On April 28, Chala was taken into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional on charges of battery and false imprisonment. Earlier that morning, Miami Police were called to the deputy's apartment after a neighbor reported hearing knocking and cries for help at her door, an arrest report detailed.
The witness let the woman in and alerted authorities and the building's front desk when she saw her bleeding and battered state.
The woman told police that she met Chala earlier that morning at E11even Nightclub, 29 NE 11th St., where they struck up a conversation at the bar before being invited back to his apartment. Once inside, the two began kissing on his bed, with Chala wrapping an arm around the victim's neck and tightening his grip to the point of pain.
The woman collapsed to the floor before escaping out the door after several minutes of struggling to find help, the report read.
The deputy agreed to speak to detectives and told a different version of events. His claim: after inviting the woman up to his apartment, she allegedly suggested they lie in bed together. Chala, who insisted he was tired, reportedly refused and asked her to leave, denying the two had made any physical contact outside of him kissing her hand.
