The Orlando Police Department will evaluate how the department hands out awards after an officer who was previously accused of excessive force and racism was named the 2018 patrol officer of the year.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the police department’s annual report states that Jonathan Mills received the award in February for apparently being a "leader" and "the most proactive member of his squad."
But in 2017, the Sentinel reports, the city of Orlando settled two lawsuits that Mills was named for $130,000. In one federal lawsuit, a man accused Mills of using excessive force and "non-consensual" physical contact while searching him for drugs during an August 2014 traffic stop. Mills was also accused of using excessive force during an October 2013 traffic stop where he reportedly used a taser on an unarmed 57-year-old man.
After reviewing police records, the Sentinel further reports that there were 15 complaints filed against Mills between 2012 and 2015.
During one incident, Mills apparently was caught on his body-cam telling a Black woman “that hairdo is sad. You’ve got to get your hair done, girl" — a comment that Caila Coleman, vice president of the Orlando Citizens Police Review Board, considers “blatant racism."
“If he received this award, what message is OPD sending to the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve?” Coleman told The Sentinel. “I would like to believe there are other officers who were better qualified to receive such a prestigious title. Officers who have not had substantiated complaints with internal investigations for misconduct towards citizens, and blatant racism.”
Mills has since undergone sensitivity training, but in a statement to the Sentinel, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón admitted that the department has to improve "the selection and evaluation process" when it comes to awards.
“Going forward, I will be working with my command staff as we go through our awards policies and we will be implementing changes to those policies to ensure that the entire process is beyond reproach,” Rolón said.
