Officer receives written reprimand after opening fire on another officer during raid

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A St. Cloud police officer is receiving a written reprimand after opening fire on another officer during a drug raid.

It took internal affairs investigators at the St. Cloud Police Department four months to piece together the nearly 300-page investigation of the SWAT raid of a suspected drug house in Kissimmee in April.

Investigators said that in the raid, Officer John Nettles shot Officer Scott Whetherhold, who lost his middle finger.

Documents show Whetherhold kicked open a door and pointed a rifle in Nettles' face. Nettles thought he heard a gunshot and opened fire, investigators determined.

According to the documents, the SWAT team never rehearsed before going into the home, had no formalized plan and were even confused about what they were supposed to do.

WFTV found that Nettles is an eight-year police veteran, and last year, he shot and killed a woman after she opened fire in her home.

He's been disciplined twice before for damaging a vehicle and not completing tests.

Investigators found he was negligent when he opened fire during the SWAT raid in April, and he is receiving a written reprimand and must complete retraining.

After the shooting, Whetherhold was flown to Orlando Regional Medical Center and underwent surgery. He has since recovered and has returned to duty.

WFTV