WSVN — Case closed after a man accuses some South Florida cops of bad behavior. He says he was the victim of a bogus arrest. Investigative Reporter Carmel Cafiero has the story.
It took Rob Pinto years to clear his name. He went to the Hollywood Police Department to complain about an officer but left handcuffed and on his way to jail. Now, he has some pay back.
The city has agreed to a settlement of $23,000 for a violation of his first amendment rights to free speech.
Rob Pinto: "I'm starting to feel like my old self again, just knowing that this is done."
Pinto's problems started in 2010 when he and a pal were pulled over by Hollywood officers. They say the men were in an unmarked car, wearing all black with no insignias and were rude. As he first told us late last year, when he went to the PD to report it, Pinto says he was treated so poorly he asked to file an internal affairs complaint and was arrested.
Rob Pinto: "One sergeant said, 'let's teach this guy a lesson.'"
Pinto was charged with impersonating a federal law enforcement officer based on an ID he carried for his maintenance company that let him enter government buildings. The charge was later dropped.
The department then took the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which also refused to prosecute. He sued the city and several officers but a judge ruled it was filled too late and dismissed all but the free speech count.
Despite that, Pinto says he feels vindicated.
Rob Pinto: "The cities, the internal affairs, really have to listen to the people because you cannot have police departments that make up crime when there's too much real crime out there harming us all."
Carmel Cafiero: "And while the lawsuit is over, the poor policing issues raised in it are not. Hollywood says there is an open and active internal affairs investigation into what happened to Rob Pinto. Carmel Cafiero 7News."