‘UNWORTHY’

18-Year Veteran of Miami Police Fired After Avalanche of Misconduct Allegations

What finally brought the axe down on Capt. Javier Ortiz? Alleged misconduct around overtime approval, of course.

The Miami Police Department on Tuesday announced the firing of a police captain and former union boss whose 18-year tenure with the department was pockmarked by dozens of accusations of misconduct, two lawsuits, and three suspensions. Javier Ortiz, who in one instance was benched after ranting at a public meeting that he was “Black… not Hispanic” while also referring to Black people as “negroes,” was finally terminated over allegations that he’d improperly filed overtime requests with sergeants under his command, according to a department statement. “Any member of the Miami Police Department who does not carry out the department’s mission is unworthy of serving the residents and stakeholders they vowed to uphold as a sworn member of the police department,” Chief Manuel Morales said. A dismissal report obtained by WTVJ also outlined Ortiz’s poor record, which included 52 citizen complaints, 20 use-of-force complaints, and two administrative complaints.