Miami police chief hailed by the city's mayor as 'America's best' is FIRED just six months into the job 'after he backed compulsory vaccines for cops and let his deputy bully staff at meeting'
Miami's police chief is being fired just six months into his role after he appeared to support compulsory vaccine mandates for cops, and over claims he sat and watched as his deputy bullied staff at a meeting.
Miami City Manager Art Noriega said in a statement Monday that he suspended Chief Art Acevedo with the intent to terminate his employment.
'The relationship between the Chief and the organization has become untenable and needed to be resolved promptly,' Noriega said. 'Chief Acevedo is not the right fit for this organization.'
Acevedo was recruited by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who earlier this year hailed him as 'America´s best chief.'
But Acevedo is said to have infuriated rank-and-file cops by twice signaling his support for a vaccine mandate for police officers, despite Florida Governor RonDe Santis threatening to fine municipalities that enforced such edicts.
He has been accused of speaking without authority when pushing for the vaccine mandates, which also saw him tease a possible clash with DeSantis over the move.
CNN reported that Acevedo also angered cops after he watched his deputy chief 'verbally assault his executive staff after a commission meeting and did not intervene.'
That deputy - Heather Morris - who moved from Houston earlier this year to join Acevedo in Miami - was fired from her job on October 1.
'The relationship between the Chief and the organization has become untenable and needed to be resolved promptly,' Miami City Manager Art Noriega said on Monday. 'Chief [Art] Acevedo (pictured) is not the right fit for this organization'
CNN reported that Acevedo further infuriated rank-and-file cops by standing and watching while his deputy Heather Morris, pictured, berated staff at a meeting. She was fired on October 1
Morris was dismissed with this letter dated October 1, just months after she moved from Houston to join the police department
Acevedo was recruited by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (pictured), who earlier this year hailed him as 'America´s best chief.'
Miami City Manager Art Noriega (pictured right) said in a statement Monday that he suspended Chief Art Acevedo with the intent to terminate his employment.
He was seen as a progressive law enforcer who headed the police department in Houston, but also shared ancestry with hundreds of thousands Cubans in Miami, as a Havana-born refugee.
Acevedo was sworn in in April and began making waves almost immediately by taking over internal affairs and making significant changes to his command staff.
He demoted four majors and fired two high-level police officials - a married couple - because they weren´t truthful about a crash involving a city-issued SUV.
At two raucous meetings over the past month, commissioners attacked Acevedo and his leadership, appointing themselves to an investigative committee with subpoena power to examine his appointment.
At one of those meetings, videos were played of Acevedo impersonating Elvis Presley dancing the 'Jailhouse Rock' in the iconic white jumpsuit and entering a dance floor of a fundraiser, slapping a woman´s rear with a piece of paper.
Commissioner Joe Carollo, a Cuban politician, and the other two Cuban Americans, have said they were deeply offended when reports emerged last month that Acevedo talked to officers about a 'Cuban mafia' that runs the city. He is pictured here at an October 10 demonstration supporting a National Strike in Cuba
At another meeting, city commissioner Joe Carollo asked to be arrested right there by him if it was true the new police chief had proof that he and other politicians were interfering with internal affairs investigations.
In an eight-page memo sent by Acevedo to the city manager and mayor before those meetings, Acevedo stated that Carollo and the other commissioners were interfering with internal affairs investigations, and improperly ordering police resources to be deployed against certain establishments 'based on nothing more than the whims of commissioners.'
He also accused the commissioners of hampering his reform mandate by eliminating positions.
Commissioner Carollo, a Cuban politician, and the other two Cuban Americans, have said they were deeply offended when reports emerged last month that Acevedo talked to officers about a 'Cuban mafia' that runs the city.
He later apologized, saying he didn't know that was a term former Cuban leader Fidel Castro used to refer to exiles.
Acevedo was sworn in in April and began making waves almost immediately by taking over internal affairs and making significant changes to his command staff. He is pictured on July 14, 2021 hugging a demonstrator, in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, as people rallied in support of antigovernment demonstrations in Cuba
'He must be the only individual of Cuban background in the world who doesn´t know that,' Carollo said. 'You are not in the middle of the Amazon.'
Among other things, the city commissioners alleged that Acevedo has been hypocritical for firing officers for some of the things he is accused of doing.
Carollo, the most vocal politician opposing Acevedo´s leadership, scrutinized an older photo where the police chief was seen using a 'white power' hand gesture similar to the OK hand sign, saying a Miami officer was relieved of duty by Acevedo after being accused of using the same gesture.
Carollo and another commissioner are also scrutinizing damage seen on Acevedo´s SUV they claim was not properly reported. They say that was similar to the incident that led to Acevedo´s firing of the husband and wife police officers.
Assistant Police Chief Manny Morales will take over as interim chief while the city searches for a permanent replacement.
The Associated Press was unable to reach Acevedo for a comment about his firing Monday night.
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