DeLand, FL - Technical issues with DeLand's investigation into a police officer's misconduct has led an independent arbitrator to effectively give Johan Mulero a two-year unpaid suspension and is requiring him to undergo additional training instead of upholding the City’s decision to terminate his employment.
DeLand Policeman Fired For Behavior In 2017 Incident
Mulero was accused of injuring a man and falsely detaining him in 2017 and was found in violation of five separate department policies. He was terminated on December 3, 2018.
The city of DeLand was notified of the arbitrator's decision last Friday (March 12). According to a statement issued today (March 15) the independent arbitrator affirmed many of the City’s findings, including Mulero’s serious mistreatment of members of the public, and found that ordinarily, the appropriate punishment for such conduct would be termination. The arbitrator's decision requires Mulero to undergo additional training.
The statement also says: While the City will abide by the arbitrator’s ruling as required, we are extremely disappointed and dismayed that the arbitrator upheld the City’s finding of fact concerning Mulero’s misconduct and agreed it was a dismissible offense, only to then contradict those findings by deciding to reinstate him. This exposes a serious flaw in the system that allows an officer with a history of misconduct to continue their employment without facing the appropriate consequences for their actions.
As for Mr. Mulero, he is once again an employee of the City and the police department, and we will provide support for him to be the best person and officer he can be. He will be required to undergo extensive training and will be re-trained in de-escalation techniques to ensure this type of misconduct never occurs again. We hope this serves as a learning experience on what it means to be a police officer and is used by him as an opportunity to grow as a person.
