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DeLand police officer fired after 'troubling' body cam video released

By Kelly Healey
By Kelly Healey
A DeLand police officer was fired Monday after an investigation by Internal Affairs determined that he falsely detained Allan Kidd during a Sept. 2017 incident, a news release said.
In May, Kidd’s attorneys filed a lawsuit against the DeLand Police Department, accusing Officer Johan Mulero of causing personal injuries to Kidd during his arrest, the report said.
Police officials said that in the fall of 2017, the department had body-worn camera technology “that did not function properly, and as a result, we were unaware that a full video existed of the incident.”
In July, Internal Affairs watch the full-length body camera video and Mulero was placed on administrative leave with pay, and a formal investigation was ordered, the release said.

DELAND, Fla. — TRENDING NOW:

The incident happened last year when Mulero responded to a call about a man on Orange and New York avenues, who was allegedly yelling at people and cars.
Body camera video shows Mulero pushing the man and telling him to sit down.
"Lower your voice or you're going to jail!" Mulero is heard yelling in the video.
The man then asked Mulero if he’s “on a power trip.”
“The relevant facts of this case are that the police department did not become aware of the conduct of our officer until 10 months after the incident occurred," the release said. "The State Attorney’s Office had determined that the arrest of Mr. Kidd lacked sufficient probable cause to affect a criminal arrest, and that it had been dismissed from the court docket."

Watch: Body cam video of Sept. 2017 incident

DeLand police Chief Jason Umberger called Mulero’s conduct, “troubling and inappropriate.”
The release also stated that Mulero “engaged in conduct unbecoming of a police officer, made an unlawful arrest for the crime of resisting arrest without violence.”
“He (Mulero) failed to apply the numerous trainings he has received in the areas of de-escalation techniques and verbal judo, thereby escalating a situation which otherwise may have been resolved without a physical confrontation,” Umberger said.
He continued, “There are times when our actions do not come anywhere near achieving the standards of excellence that we have set for our officers at the DeLand Police Department. Unfortunately, this is one of those times.”    
Mulero was hired in 2013.

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