ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police officer Livio Beccacio threw a woman to the ground in front of a downtown bar in February 2011 and knocked out her front teeth.
And now, more than a year later, the Orlando Police Department determined his actions were inappropriate and that he'd used excessive force.
The Police Department said he didn't have to throw Lisa Wareham to the ground and should have done something else to diffuse the heated situation at a downtown bar that night.
The incident was recorded on video. Beccacio was suspended Thursday for 40 hours without pay.
"On behalf of the Orlando Police Department, I would like to apologize to Ms. Wareham for being thrown to the ground," Deputy Chief Jeff O'Dell said.
After the incident, Wareham was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. The state dropped all the charges against her.
Beccacio was not charged criminally because the OPD said the takedown was not intentional.
This incident has led to new policy changes. Supervisors will now be required to review any video available as it relates to excessive force cases. The department wants to make sure the reports match what is seen on video.
WFTV asked if Beccacio lied on his report. The OPD said no, the facts were just out of sequence.
"It was a lesson learned by the Orlando Police Department. Obviously, we have cameras downtown. We only use them from time to time," O'Dell said.
WFTV asked if Beccacio should be fired, but the OPD said the suspension is in line with disciplinary actions taken against other officers who have made similar offenses.
In 2007, officer Fernando Trinidad was seen on camera pushing a woman down the stairs. He was not criminally charged and only received an eight-hour suspension.
Wareham is in the process of suing the OPD. Her attorney believes Beccacio needs to be fired.
The OPD says it does not have problems with its officers when it comes to excessive force. The deputy chief said there was only one complaint for excessive use of force filed last year.