WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — A former Winter Garden police officer is off the job after he admitted he drove a motorcycle without a license at more than 50 mph over the speed limit.
Channel 9’s Mario Boone learned the officer was pulled over by one of his fellow officers, but the officer who conducted the traffic stop let him go without an arrest or citation.
Julio Negron was let go after investigators learned he barreled through a 45 mph zone on a motorcycle at speeds between 90 and 100 mph.
Negron told investigators he tried to lure a fellow officer into chasing him as a joke.
Authorities said the responding officer felt threatened at one point and drew his weapon on Negron.
Retired police chief and law enforcement expert Chuck Drago said that combined with the fact Negron isn’t legally supposed to be riding a motorcycle makes the case especially serious.
“To be deliberately breaking the law like that (it) just amazes me that a police officer would be doing that," Drago said.
The incident happened in June, but top brass didn’t find out until weeks later, because the officer who stopped Negron let him drive away without an arrest.
“It's not fair, and it's not the right thing to do, but it is the way it works,” Drago said.
Winter Garden police said the officer who let Negron off the hook broke no laws or rules.
They said in a statement, “Officer Negron's violation of agency policies, as well as criminal traffic violations is considered unacceptable, and resulted in him being terminated.”
Negron had been on the force for nearly four years.