GROVELAND, Fla. — A Groveland police sergeant was suspended after an internal investigation found he drove a marked patrol car at speeds exceeding 100 mph on three occasions while off duty and activated the vehicle’s emergency lights without justification, according to a 23-page investigative report.
Investigators determined Sgt. Alexander Jarrell drove as fast as 120, 112 and 124 mph while traveling on the Florida Turnpike and through Groveland, according to GPS data from the marked police vehicle.
The incidents happened in May and corresponded with times Jarrell was clocking in for work in the minutes after the GPS clocked his speed, according to the report.
The investigation began after other officers noticed Jarrell driving a Groveland police vehicle with its emergency lights activated and reported their concerns to supervisors, according to Groveland Police Chief Shawn Ramsey, who provided Channel 9 with a statement.
Investigators later reviewed GPS data and surveillance video that showed Jarrell driving with the emergency lights activated, according to the report. In one instance, Jarrell was seen driving into the opposing lane to pass another vehicle, causing another driver to yield, investigators said.
The driver apparently believed the officer was responding to an emergency.
The chief said Jarrell admitted during an interview that he activated the emergency lights on three occasions without a legitimate reason.
The GPS data also showed the patrol vehicle traveling at speeds that could meet the threshold for dangerous excessive speeding under Florida law.
The law imposes enhanced penalties for drivers traveling at extremely high speeds. However, the department said GPS data alone could not be used to issue a speeding ticket or support a criminal traffic charge because traffic enforcement requires a recorded radar speed.
The Chief said in a statement the speeds were discovered only after the internal affairs investigation began.
Jarrell was promoted to sergeant about seven months before the investigation.
Despite the findings, Jarrell was not fired.
He received a three-day unpaid suspension, lost his take-home police vehicle for 30 days and was placed on six months of employment probation.
The punishment has raised questions about whether the discipline was sufficient given the speeds investigators documented.
Chief Ramsey defended the department’s handling of the case, saying in a statement that the discipline was consistent with progressive discipline policies and that firing Jarrell could have exposed the city to legal and financial liability.
“While the actions are in no way indicative of the good work happening in the department, we are proud of the way they were handled,” Ramsey said in a statement to Channel 9.
Ramsey said Jarrell’s cooperation with the investigation and disciplinary history were considered. The chief also said Jarrell had never previously been the subject of a sustained internal affairs investigation.
The department’s internal investigation will be forwarded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for review to determine whether additional action involving Jarrell’s law enforcement certification is warranted, Ramsey said.
Ramsey also praised the officers who reported the sergeant’s conduct.
“I wanted to reiterate that these sorts of actions will not be tolerated in my department and that I will always strive to be fair and firm in handling them if they do occur,” Ramsey said. “I also want to commend the officers who saw something wrong and alerted their superiors, exactly as they are supposed to do.”
The investigation also reviewed previous disciplinary cases involving other officers for vehicle-operation violations as part of the department’s consideration of the appropriate punishment, according to the report.
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