ORLANDO, Fla. — New questions have been raised about the Orlando Police Department's handling of allegations of officers racially profiling their own.
The department said the investigation wasn't done, and refused to let Channel 9 inspect its records, but WFTV's Kathi Belich learned the investigation has been over for two months.
Earlier this week, Channel 9 reported Orlando officer Janir Sims filed a report, claiming two fellow officers racially profiled him and stopped him for no reason when he was off-duty.
The document obtained by Belich is a letter from OPD's Internal Affairs manager. It says the investigation was completed two weeks after the October traffic stop was conducted.
Channel 9 was tipped off to Sims' complaint in which he said two fellow OPD officers racially profiled him, blocked him in and came at him with guns drawn.
He called it, "Terrifying and traumatic," and said he had not violated any traffic laws.
Sims was off duty in his perfectly operational BMW and said he was dressed in "urban" clothing.
On Tuesday, Channel 9 asked OPD to see the investigation file, but their public information officer said, "There is currently an open and active investigation into the incident referenced. As a result, a report is not available for review at this time."
After Channel 9's report, a source gave Belich a letter written to Sims by OPD Internal Affairs manager Dwain Rivers, dated Oct. 17, that reads, "This case is considered closed."
Rivers wrote, "I found no evidence of profiling related to your encounter with the officers."
Sims said the officers said they stopped him because he "might have been speeding."
He was not ticketed.
The letter closes, "The Orlando Police Department prohibits illegal profiling as a law enforcement tactic and will not tolerate or condone its use by any of our members."
Retired Orange County sheriff's Cmdr. Russell Permaul told Channel 9 a similar incident happened to him.
"It should be a zero tolerance for it," Permaul said.
Permaul said his fellow deputies did it to him twice.