ORLANDO, Fla.,None — An Orlando police officer accused of beating up a teenager is being accused of intimidating him just a couple of weeks before the case is supposed to go to trial, WFTV learned on Monday.
The victim's mother called WFTV reporter Daralene Jones to talk about how the two crossed paths again.
The officer was in the victim's neighborhood, but Orlando police officials said it was a coincidence.
They said he was relieved of duty with pay, but was recently brought back.
Police officials said he is only allowed to work behind a desk, and is not allowed to patrol neighborhoods. Bryan Payne said he was at the Race Trac convenience store in his neighborhood two weeks ago when he looked up and saw Officer Dante Candelaria. Payne said he became so scared that he called his mother.
"He pulled out a white object and started video taping me," said Payne.
Candaleria is awaiting trial for battery and false imprisonment because he was caught on camera throwing Payne to the ground and punching him in the mouth.
WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said everything about the encounter at the convenience store was highly suspicious.
"It doesn't appear that the young man approached him or even acknowledged that he was present, but saw fit to videotape him. Certainly borderlines on harassment and intimidation," said Sheaffer.
The officer told his supervisors he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and started recording because he wanted to protect himself in case something happened.
But there are cameras at the Race Trac, some of which recorded part of the incident that led to the alleged beating.
"That's a joke. If anybody should've pulled out a camera, it should've been me. He assaulted me," said Payne.
Candaleria has been a police officer for eight years.
Payne's mother, Mary, said when she complained to Orlando police, she was given a copy of an incident report as a record of what happened. She said she could not, however, get a restraining order against the officer.
"The officers told him he wasn't in violation of any laws. He wasn't breaking any laws," said Mary Payne.
The State Attorney's Office told WFTV it can only look into cases of witness intimidation if there is a case forwarded to them by a law enforcement agency. In this case, that would have to be the Orlando Police Department.