‘We are anti-racist police.’ NAACP, public defender demand Fort Lauderdale cop be fired

The Broward NAACP and Public Defender’s Office strongly urged Friday that a Fort Lauderdale police officer be fired after a police investigation determined he spewed racial slurs and instigated a fight with group of Black men outside a club following a night of drinking.

Last month, Fort Lauderdale Police Chief William Schultz and a civilian review board recommended Officer John Giga be fired after a months-long Internal Affairs investigation.

The decision is before acting City Manager Susan Grant, who is reviewing the findings and following the disciplinary appeal process for Giga, her office said. Giga has been a Fort Lauderdale police officer since 2008.

“The NAACP is not anti-police,” said Broward NAACP President Marsha Ellison at a press conference in the Public Defender’s Office at the Broward County Courthouse. “We are anti-racist police. We are anti-police that do anything other than treating people rightly and justly. We don’t understand, quite frankly, how this man is still in uniform…Clearly, he doesn’t deserve it.”

“He should not be an officer in this community,” added Broward Public Defender Gordon Weekes. “There are a number of really talented, dedicated officers that are doing good work in this community, and they are tarnished by...the racial and aggressive nature in which [Giga] is policing our community.”

In a 385-page case file, Internal Affairs and Criminal Investigation Division detectives uncovered Giga violated several department policies, including unbecoming conduct and neglect of duty.

Giga’s attorney, Eugene Gibbons, did not respond Friday to a call from the Miami Herald. Fort Lauderdale police union representatives also did not respond to the Herald’s query.

READ MORE: Ft. Lauderdale brass recommends firing of an officer who spewed racist slurs: sources

According to the Internal Affairs investigative report, which the Herald has reviewed, the saga began in the early morning hours of Nov. 24, the Friday after Thanksgiving. Giga, who was off duty, was seen on video drinking at least five alcoholic beverages and then driving around Fort Lauderdale in his police car. At the same time, he was barraging a “friend” with text messages.

He later showed up at her job, Capone’s Nightclub, 310 SW Second St. in Fort Lauderdale, forcing her to hide from him as he searched for her, the documents revealed.

Unable to find her, he walked into the club’s parking lot and almost immediately started an argument with a nearby group of Black men, witnesses told detectives.

He was overheard using the N-word at least three times before the group got in their cars and drove away, documents read. Giga followed one car, punching its driver-side window, although he didn’t break the glass.

The driver got out, prompting Giga to approach him and take a “fighting stance,“ documents read. The driver punched him in the face. A passenger in that car and a driver in another car trailing them joined in and pummeled Giga for about 20 seconds.

“The racist part of it is extremely troubling,” said Ellison, who called for his immediate dismissal. “They have some very good officers in the City of Fort Lauderdale. Unfortunately, Officer Giga is not one of those people.”

Inconsistent stories and improper investigating?

Throughout the investigation, Giga contended he was breaking up a fight outside the club and was attacked by an unknown person. Detectives said witnesses’ statements and surveillance video did not corroborate that version of events.

He also made several inconsistent statements regarding what he was doing while on-duty that day, the condition of his patrol car and that he did not drink any alcohol when he got off work, documents read.

Other Fort Lauderdale police officers potentially broke department policies, the report said.

Two police officers turned off their body-worn cameras when they should have been capturing the investigation; a sergeant attempted to order an officer to turn off her body-worn camera, even though she was told to keep it on; and a major directed a lieutenant to officially report that Giga was breaking up a fight and on duty, although neither spoke to witnesses nor Giga.

Weekes, who reviewed the report, said it seemed police were giving Giga leeway that others would not receive if they were accused of assault.

“When you have a law enforcement officer that is being looked at for possible wrongdoing...they give great deference, great patience and make sure that they protect that officer with every opportunity they can,” he said.

Dozens of cases could be reopened

Since joining the force in 2008, Giga has been involved in possibly hundreds of cases as a witness or arresting officer.

Former Circuit Court Judge Ilona Holmes, now the Broward NAACP’s general counsel, said his alleged actions will call into question every case he was involved in. A prosecutor and judge for more than 40 years, she said there is enough justification to review any case Giga has touched.

“Every defense attorney in Broward County is going to ask for information...in any case that he is a witness,” said Holmes at the news conference. “Bad policing can be one bad apple, and it can spoil the whole bunch.”

Weekes said the Public Defender’s Office has six open cases involving Giga and has several more that were closed that will be reviewed.

“We’re going to do an in-depth, comprehensive review of his conduct in those cases and how this newly discovered information and newly discovered evidence will impact how those cases were resolved,” he said.

History of disciplinary action

Since his hiring, Giga has received five letters of reprimand and four suspensions for policy violations of various degrees. Here are a few:

▪ In June 2022, Fort Lauderdale police’s Instagram account was flooded with complaints. Users sent a video of a uniformed officer touching the butt of a woman outside of SWAY Nightclub — that officer was Giga. He received a letter of reprimand and had his patrol car privileges revoked.

▪ In December 2019, he was suspended for three days after he “overslept” and missed required police training.

▪ In 2019, he was given a letter of reprimand for using law enforcement databases to search for his ex-girlfriends’ personal information twice.

▪ Giga was suspended twice for speeding in his patrol car in June 2019 and February 2018.

▪ In March 2012, Giga was given a letter of reprimand for not properly investigating a claim of marijuana inside an apartment where children were present. On the same day, he allegedly used “excessive force” on a city garbage disposal worker, which led to a lawsuit that was settled.