COCOA BEACH, Fla. – A Cocoa Beach police officer, who was previously reprimanded back in January for escalating an arrest, was terminated this month.
Officer Matt LaFleur was fired on June 7, records show. LaFleur’s notice of termination, issued by Cocoa Beach Deputy Chief Wes Mullins and sent to News 6 on Friday, did not detail why he was fired.
“Officer Lafleur was still within his probationary period, so no further explanation was required,” the department said in a statement to News 6.
Video released in January shows LaFleur, who was fired on June 7, and Officer Emilio Rosa pepper spray and restrain a man who had fallen asleep on a bench in front of the Tropics bar last summer.
The footage shows Hosmer telling LaFleur he was drinking with friends before falling asleep, and cooperating with the officers.
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Police said the officers were right to check on Jonathan Hosmer, but should have let him walk away after he showed he was coherent.
Instead, the pair arrested Hosmer on charges of battery, disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest, but those charges have since been dropped.
[READ THE FULL TERMINATION MEMO BELOW]
Matt Lafleur Termination Letter by Sam Dunne on Scribd
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