Nine months after Miami’s police union prez was suspended, city still won’t say why

More than nine months after the president of Miami’s powerful police union was suspended — the city still hasn’t explained why he was sent home.

In the past few weeks the city technically lifted the suspension of Fraternal Order of Police President Tommy Reyes by placing the sergeant on administrative leave with pay. The only difference is, he no longer needs to check in if he leaves home during work hours. He still can’t wear the uniform, work a beat, or do off-duty work.

The leave hasn’t affected Reyes all that much. The city’s first openly gay union leader can continue with his union duties. And as president, Reyes hasn’t had a police beat in almost five years.

“He’s suspended pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs investigation,” was all Miami Police Spokeswoman Kenia Fallat would say about the investigation into Reyes.

Still, the unwillingness of the department after more than nine months to acknowledge the reason for the suspension, and now administrative leave, has only fueled speculation in a city that hasn’t shied in the past from turning police department issues into public spectacles.

Is the 16-year veteran and two-term union president the same Miami law enforcement officer whose name is redacted in a Tallahassee Police incident report that tells the tale of a Grindr date gone so wrong a gun was pulled?

Reyes, who hasn’t been charged with a crime, isn’t saying. And neither are Tallahassee police. All Reyes has said publicly about the allegation — one Leon County prosecutors quickly determined wasn’t worth pursuing — is that he believes his suspension is related to an anonymous Internal Affairs complaint based on a report in an anonymous blog. Reyes did admit back in March that he was being investigated by Tallahassee Police.

This week, Reyes said he had received a copy of his reprimand, but refused to provide it to the Miami Herald, he said, on the advice of his lawyer. The city of Miami also refused a request for paperwork this week, saying attorneys were trying to determine whether they considered the reprimand, which had not yet been signed by the police chief, a public record.

Reyes, who would not publicly comment on the suspension, did say the reprimand called for an additional 40-hour suspension that would include a dock in pay.

An issue that could be raised is that the Law Enforcement Bill of Rights, a state statute, mandates that if there isn’t some type of resolution to a suspension within 180 days, an officer can’t be disciplined. Union leaders say the rule is in place to keep suspensions from being dragged out.

Reyes’ initial suspension was Feb. 18. He didn’t receive an official reprimand until almost seven months later on Sept. 7. A city spokesperson said the six-month window begins when a complaint is filed. It wasn’t clear when the complaint against Reyes was filed with Internal Affairs.

“He shouldn’t have this hanging over his head forever,” said South Florida Police Benevolent Association President Steadman Stahl, whose union is not involved in the Reyes case in any way.

The anonymous blogger that Reyes believes is behind the suspension flap posted a Tallahassee Police incident report in March. It describes a date that began on Grindr, a gay-oriented dating app, and ended with allegations of a wallet ripoff and detention at gunpoint. The report includes statements from two men, who both claim to be victims. But the name of a Miami police officer who initially contacted police about the confrontation is redacted.

During the probe, investigators said they had probable cause to arrest the Miami cop. But the investigation was quickly shut down when the Leon County State Attorney’s Office said there wasn’t enough probable cause to move forward and there was “no reasonable likelihood of prosecution. This case is being closed as exceptionally clear.”

The Feb. 24 field case report by Tallahassee police says they were contacted on Jan. 11 by an off-duty law enforcement officer from Miami Police who claimed to have just been robbed.

Reyes had been in Tallahassee in January for the legislative session. He was suspended by Miami six days before Tallahassee police released the redacted report.

According to the incident report, the Miami police officer told Tallahassee police that he met a man through Grindr and that the man stole his wallet, then messaged him saying he would blackmail the officer if he wasn’t permitted to go on a shopping spree. Police said the man purchased more than $1,300 of mostly electronics on the officer’s credit card before meeting the officer again in his hotel room.

The two men, the officer said, got into a car and at one point the officer tried to take the key from the ignition before pulling a weapon on the man and taking him to the ground. Tallahassee police said surveillance cameras showed the officer with his weapon out and another man on the ground. Police said they didn’t believe the officer was a victim of a robbery but of a theft and that they had reason to believe there was probable cause to arrest the officer. The state attorney’s office disagreed.