Opa-locka police fire sergeant accused of firing Taser at fellow officer – NBC 6 South Florida

The former Opa-Locka police sergeant accused of firing a Taser at a fellow officer at the police station has been fired.

On Wednesday, the city announced the results of its internal investigation into the September 2021 incident.

The case summary details how the officer “twitched” and asked Sergio Perez not to fire the Taser. When Perez finally fired it, the officer says he called him a “baby.”

After Perez was fired on Tuesday, Opa-Locka Police Chief Kenneth Ottley and City Manager Darvin Williams reiterated their decision at a press conference 24 hours later.

“He crossed the line that requires him to no longer be a part of this department,” Chief Ottley said. “Our investigation revealed seven policy violations when he inappropriately fired his Taser.”

But Perez fires back, claiming the city is retaliating against him for trying to expose corruption.

On Wednesday, he sent a statement to NBC6 that said, in part, “Unfortunately, the Chief of Police and City Manager turned a blind eye to the corruption I reported… in retaliation, I am being 'disciplined' again as they do everything they can to avoid exposure and face the consequences. There is not a shadow of a doubt that I will be reinstated to my position with the City.”

City Manager Darvin Williams denied these allegations.

“It was only the activities and actions that caused this particular action. So nothing else was taken into consideration,” Williams said. “I met personally with Mr. Perez and his attorney.” [I] has asked for additional information…anything they might consider for the city before this decision is made.”

A criminal investigation into the Taser incident initially resulted in an assault charge, but that charge was dropped in January 2024 after Perez's attorney discovered emergency notes that indicated the charging officer believed the incident was an accident.

At the time, Perez told NBC6: “I was innocent. This was an accident resulting from a fight.”

Shortly thereafter, Perez was acquitted by a jury of assault charges stemming from a 2020 incident involving allegations that Perez beat and dragged a mentally ill teenager during a chaotic incident. Perez stated that he was trying to deescalate the threatening situation and that his actions helped “end the incident.”

Perez tells NBC6 that he will comment on the termination in the coming days.