Article:
Sunrise Police Sergeant Cleared of Charges, But the Story is Far from Over
A Sunrise Police sergeant was arrested in June, accused of threatening to kill the head of his department’s internal affairs unit. But after a thorough investigation, prosecutors dropped the charges, citing a lack of evidence and malice. The sergeant has now been cleared of all charges, but he claims the real story is just beginning.
The Allegations
Sergeant Daniel Rodriguez turned himself in to authorities, accused of "written threats to kill" and extortion. His attorney, Michael Gottlieb, claimed the arrest was retaliation for reporting the misconduct of a higher-ranking officer. Rodriguez alleged that Lt. Brian Katz, the head of internal affairs, had removed an antique fire alarm bell from a marijuana grow house in 2017 and failed to place it in evidence. Instead, he claimed Katz hung the bell in the police department.
The Messages
Rodriguez admitted to sending several menacing text messages to a friend, including one that read: "Just saw Katz running on Griffin. I thought about stopping and shooting him. I want to kill him." He claimed the message was a low point in his life, and he was simply venting to a friend. However, prosecutors dropped the charges, stating that the messages were not sent directly to Katz and did not demonstrate actual malice.
The Aftermath
Rodriguez was found in violation of several department violations, including sending fellow officers the autopsy photo of a person he had shot and killed in a 2020 officer-involved shooting. He admits to texting the photo but claims it was for training purposes. Late last month, he was fired.
Katz, on the other hand, was given verbal counseling for failing to ensure the bell was placed in evidence. Rodriguez believes the entire investigation was a cover-up to discredit him and the original complaint he made against Katz.
The Road Ahead
For Rodriguez, the battle is far from over. He plans to fight to get his job back, claiming the department is trying to erase him from existence. He believes his name will be cleared, and justice will prevail.
FAQs
Who is Daniel Rodriguez? Daniel Rodriguez is a sergeant with the Sunrise Police Department who was arrested and charged with threatening to kill the head of the department’s internal affairs unit.
Why was Rodriguez arrested? Rodriguez was arrested in June after an investigation into his behavior, including allegations of making written threats to kill and extortion.
What are the allegations? Rodriguez claims that Lt. Brian Katz, the head of internal affairs, removed an antique fire alarm bell from a marijuana grow house and failed to place it in evidence, instead hanging it in the police department.
What happened as a result of the allegations? Rodriguez was found in violation of several department violations, including sending fellow officers the autopsy photo of a person he had shot and killed in a 2020 officer-involved shooting. He was also fired. Katz was given verbal counseling for failing to ensure the bell was placed in evidence.
