HAINES CITY, Fla. — 10 Investigates has uncovered new information about a Haines City Police officer accused – and cleared – of improper conduct.
We’ve now learned the officer resigned from his last law enforcement job after being accused of lying to his supervisor.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office records say Justin Vasquez’s superiors would have fired him if he hadn’t resigned first. Haines City Police knew about it and hired him anyway.
Last year, community activists raised concerns after Vasquez stopped Miranda Brundidge III over dark window tint.
Surveillance and cellphone videos appear to show Officer Justin Vasquez striking Brundidge, throwing him onto the hood of a hot car, and holding him down – all while Brundidge repeatedly asked why he was being detained.
Police records say Brundidge resisted arrest and was legally carrying a concealed gun.
Activists asked the police department to fire Vasquez. They didn’t.
In February, 10 Tampa Bay reported the police department issued what they called a "Letter of Retraining" – a memo pointing out what Vasquez could have done differently. That memo exonerated him from complaints about "Competency" and "Improper Conduct."
“I don't see that this was handled properly. I think there should've been another level of discipline for this officer,” community activist Pastor Clayton Cowart said in February.
10 Investigates has now learned Officer Vasquez made an abrupt exit from his last law enforcement job.
Polk County Sheriff's Office records show he resigned from that agency in 2018 after they told him about an internal investigation into his actions.
That investigation ultimately found Vasquez disobeyed his direct supervisor’s orders to fill out paperwork about money seized during a search warrant, then lied about it.
His letter of resignation said, “I have made some personal decisions and I will be resigning from the agency.”
His superiors wrote they would have fired him if he hadn’t resigned first.
A handwritten note said he is “not eligible for rehire.”
Two years later, in 2020, Vasquez applied to the Haines City Police Department.
His job application shows he told them he had resigned after allegations of misconduct.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Haines City Police reviewed Vasquez’s disciplinary file after he applied – so, they knew about his history.
We requested interviews with Vasquez and Police Chief Greg Goreck. The city spokesperson told us neither were available for an interview, but sent us emailed statements from Deputy City Manager Loyd Stewart.
“During our hiring process, Vasquez provided an explanation to us, regarding his departure from his previous agency, which, had it been provided at the time of the investigation, in our assessment, may have mitigated the allegations and resulted in a different outcome. The State Attorney’s Office … confirmed that the circumstances that led up to Vasquez’s decision to resign, did not and would not negatively affect their ability to prosecute future investigations and his testimony would be used for criminal prosecutions,” said Stewart in his emailed statement.
We asked why Haines City Police hired someone who is not eligible to be rehired at another agency.
“Eligibility for rehire at another agency can be influenced by various factors, and each agency has its own criteria and policies. Our hiring decisions are based on our department’s standards and the individual’s qualifications, experience, and potential to contribute positively to our team. We believed Officer Vasquez met those criteria and was capable of performing his duties in a manner that aligned with our expectations,” said Stewart in his emailed statement.
The deputy city manager also sent us a message for community activists who are unhappy with the level of discipline Vasquez received related to his conduct during Brundidge’s arrest.
“The incident involving Officer Vasquez was also reviewed by the state attorney’s office, communicated back to us, during a telephone call, that Vasquez had not committed any criminal violations of law with regard to Mr. Brundidge III… We understand and respect the community’s concerns and are dedicated to continuous improvement in our practices and fostering trust between our officers and the public,” wrote Stewart.
Vasquez was recently transferred from an officer position to a detective role. A spokesperson for Haines City Police told us it was not a promotion, and the move did not come with a salary increase.