DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A Daytona Beach police officer has been fired following an internal investigation into a use-of-force encounter earlier this year, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.
Video released in March showed Officer Joel Llinas punching a man in the head. Police said the incident stemmed from an open-container violation.
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The department said its investigation determined Llinas violated multiple policies related to his conduct and use of force.
It was his second use-of-force incident in a “relatively short time,” according to police. He had also previously received de-escalation training.
After reviewing the circumstances, the department terminated Llinas.
Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young issued a statement acknowledging the challenges officers face while also underscoring the department’s commitment to holding officers accountable.
“I want to recognize the more than 200 men and women who serve as police officers with this department,” Young said. “Law enforcement has become increasingly difficult over the years, and our officers are asked every day to deal with people during some of the worst moments of their lives and they are often faced with situations most people will never experience.”
The Coast Florida Police Benevolent Association, a union, released the following statement, saying in part:
“We could not disagree more with this absurd outcome.” They add, “This entire incident is the fault of the suspect, not the officer. Sadly, this department has chosen to ignore the obvious – that he did what they asked him to do – and terminated a hardworking cop who proudly served our country in the military as well.”