MIAMI (WSVN) - A Miami Police sergeant is temporarily off the job while under investigation by three agencies, including his own, after a crash raised many questions about the facts of the case.
The investigation stems from a crash that occurred while he was behind the wheel of a city-funded SUV in January, and from the chain of events that followed.
Sgt. Antonio Hernandez from the City of Miami Police Department is under investigation after deputies said he crashed into a palm tree while off duty.
But surveillance video appears to show a much different timeline of events.
The case was first reported by documentarian and community watchdog, Billy Corben.
“Miami Police Officer Antonio Hernandez, the sergeant-at-arms appointed to protect Commissioner Miguel Gabela,” said Corben on a social media video.
The aftermath of the crash left a rental vehicle used for police services damaged. The sideview mirror was left dangling, and the front was crushed in.
According to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office report, Hernandez was driving on Southwest 32nd Street when he slammed into a palm tree on a swale near 140th Avenue. Hernandez told deputies he was distracted and never saw it.
On body camera footage, a deputy on scene is heard clarifying Hernandez’s account.
The crash occurred at 7:25 a.m. on January 23rd, according to the MDSO report.
But in the surveillance video obtained by Corben, the impact occurred roughly nine hours earlier than reported, and the SUV never stopped.
“For some reason, Hernandez waited until the next morning, recreated the crash at the site, and then called police,” said Corben on the video.
The body camera video and the report show Hernandez back on the scene of the crash and reporting the incident to deputies the following morning.
Miami Police confirmed to 7News that Hernandez has since been relieved of duty with pay while under an internal investigation.
According to Corben, the MDSO said there’s an open criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office tells 7News:
“As a matter of policy, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office does not comment on open pending cases or ongoing investigations, but the matter is presently under review.”
Hernandez was sworn into the department six years ago.
The investigation has now entered its fourth month.
7News reached out to the MDSO, the City of Miami, and Commissioner Gabela’s office for more information and is waiting to hear back.
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