Florida Officer Suspended After Internet Post

[CPDlife4ME]

Posted: Friday, April 11, 2008
Updated: April 11th, 2008 12:14 PM EDT

Story by wftv.com

OVIEDO, Fla. --

Only Channel 9 spoke with a police officer who's been suspended from the force because of what he posted on the Internet. The Oviedo Police Department took away the officer's gun and badge when he claimed online to be a "super-trained killer ninja fighter." It's a statement the officer admits was a joke, but the department didn't find it funny.

The controversial statement was found on Officer Justin Varkony's MySpace page. It stated that he was a "supertrained killer ninja fighter of the night who has not had a chance to use this special skill yet."

The man investigating the case is taking it seriously.

"It was brought to the chief of police, yes," said Lt. Dennis Lynch, Oviedo Police Department.

Oviedo police acted swiftly and put Varkony on administrative duty. Eyewitness News found him at his Seminole County apartment on Thursday.

"If I could go back to whenever I wrote that, I would take it off. It was a joke, that's all," Varkony told Eyewitness News.

The Oviedo Police Department said it is a matter of public safety and that if one of its officers truly believes he is a "super trained ninja fighter who has not used his special skills yet," it is a cause of concern.

Making things worse, Eyewitness News uncovered 22 other complaints, including one case where Varkony admitted putting notches on his Taser every time it was used. He received 84 hours of unpaid leave.

Like the "killer ninja" comment, the 28-year-old said it was a lapse in judgment.

"The majority cleared as minor infractions, but I'm not a rogue cop," he said.

Instead, Varkony says he's a cop being targeted after arresting a city council person's family member in 2005.

"The politics get rough. We try to stay away from them, but unfortunately stuff happens," he said.

Varkony has taken down his MySpace page. Oviedo police will decide if he should be taken off the force.

Officer Varkony will have his case heard Tuesday. The Internal Affairs report can take as long as six months. In the meantime, he will remain on administrative duty.

Copyright 2008 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Is it me or is this a little overkill?

[Samuel]

my guess is that there are probably other issues going on...

[Plazoo]

my guess is that there are probably other issues going on...

I sure would hope so otherwise, in my opinion, this guy's department needs to unwind the sphincter a little bit.

[Hockey9019]

Sounds like someone didn't like him, made one of then "annonymous" complaints.


I think just a tad too serious these guys are...

[cntryboy0531]

my guess is that there are probably other issues going on...

I agree.

[Curt581]

this guy's department needs to unwind the sphincter a little bit.

I agree.

This seems to be an escalating trend. I understand all about "being held to a higher standard", but it seems like they're raising that standard so high a Saint couldn't reach it. At the rate they're going, one of us will be suspended for saying "Good Golly".

Not to mention... the people doing the raising couldn't even attain that level themselves, let alone maintain it.

[Creeker]

I have mixed responses.

First, I absolutely hate "Myspace" and truly believe that if a person feels the need to have a "Myspace", they didn't get enough assurances of being loved when they were growing up and need the constant reminder of their own self worth by keeping a list of "Friends" for everyone else to see.

Secondly, & I've felt this way for a long time... a Cop needs to be mindful that if a Defense Attorney can find "dirt" on a Cop to use at Trial, he will use it to his advantage... and this would include any lawsuits involving excessive force or actual Criminal Trials in which the LEO was either the defendant or the victim... been there, done that... as a Victim. Thank God the Internet was still fairly a difficult system to obtain and use at the time. In my case, my personnel file was brought into the matter, which didn't impact the case at all.

Cops who publicly advocate or express admiration for "Cult" films or violent action Heroes should make sure that they do not do it under their own name or in any way in connection with their employer.

I am a great fan of the "Die Hard" movies, but you will not see me using movie quotes in my (formerly) professional references or connected to the LE Agency that I was employed with.

All of that aside, I was one of the biggest jokers around and I also believe that this guys Agency is grossly over-reacting.

[Piggy]

He should sue them and prove he's a super trained ninja. That'll teach em.

Sounds like the Chief doesn't like him for some reason.

[Samuel]

Maybe the chief has something against ninjas... :confused:

[Hockey9019]

Anyone hear, that he made notches in his Taser, everytime he used it? (Like how Fighter Pilots for every kill or sortie they fly) I'll go find the article

I don't know why, but I find that hilarious :D


Nevermind, I should learn how to read the original article fully

[Hockey9019]

OK, I'll save myself from the blind post


Over 20 investigations for this officer...:eek:

Officer loses badge, gun over MySpace
22 internal investigations target officer

By Michelle Yoffee-Beard | April 09, 2008

OVIEDO - Though he's had a string of more than 20 internal investigations, it was an Oviedo Police Officer's MySpace page that got his badge and gun taken away Friday.

Oviedo Police Officer Justin Varkony of Winter Springs had his gun and his badge taken from him on Friday and was placed on administrative duty while an investigation is completed about what was written on his MySpace page, Lt. Dennis Lynch of the Oviedo Police Department said.

Varkony's MySpace page was removed by Friday, but on Thursday, when he still had street duties, his MySpace page stated: "Justin (is) a supertrained killer ninja fighter of the night who has not had a chance to use this special skill yet."

"On [Thursday], information was received that Oviedo Police Officer Justin Varkony had typed a sentence on his personal MySpace.com account that was inappropriate for a member of the police department," Lynch wrote in an e-mail on Tuesday afternoon.

Previous concerns about the officer include notching his city-issued Taser gun to represent people he's tased and embarking on an unauthorized high-speed chase outside of the city limits.

Including the current ongoing investigation, Varkony has been the subject of internal investigations a total of 22 times. Of those, seven were sustained, he was exonerated five times and nine were unfounded or not sustained.

Lynch said the department has up to six months to complete its current investigation, though he expects to have resolution much sooner.

E-mails and phone calls to Varkony seeking comment went unreturned and on Wednesday, Lynch said Varkony was on vacation.

Human Resources director Connie Collins said that city employees aren't banned from using MySpace or other social networking sites but the city does have policies that regulate an employee's conduct or behavior if deemed inappropriate or detrimental to city operations or its reputation.

"It's hard to say that officers can't have a MySpace account," said Police Chief Jeffrey Chudnow. "Do I care what's on it? Obviously."

Chudnow, who was not with the department during previous internal investigations involving Varkony, said the department is dedicated to following the legal system for both the citizens and its officers.

"State statute dictates that we have to abide by the Officers Bill of Rights," Chudnow said. "You have to afford an objective investigation and allow an investigator to read any statements against [the officer] before they're questioned."

Varkony's judgment has been called into question by his superiors before.

Police records show he deployed his Taser a total of 10 times as of May 23, 2005, and was disciplined for putting the cuts, or notches, on the handle of his Taser to represent each time it was used.

According to an internal investigation, Varkony admitted to notching his Taser. He also told investigators that other officers also notched their Tasers and he went along with it.

The internal report said that the last notch was put in his Taser on May 23, 2005, at a 7-11 on Lockwood Boulevard, when he was standing near the fountain drinks with two other officers. He told the police investigator that he didn't think anybody saw him do it.

"Officer Varkony admitted it was stupid, unprofessional and he regrets doing it," Coleman wrote in the report.

For the incident, he was suspended for 84 hours without pay and given six months special probation.

Varkony appealed the discipline, but an Oct. 26, 2005, letter from former city manager Gerry Seeber sustained the findings.

Seeber wrote in his memo that he had "grave concerns" about Varkony's behavior.

"I strongly encourage you to be mindful of your behavior as a police officer in the city so that you will avoid any future disciplinary action. Any substantive infraction on your part will have the most serious consequences," Seeber wrote.

Prior to the Taser incident, Varkony was involved in another incident that caused concern when he pursued a vehicle outside the Oviedo city limits with the suspect's vehicle going about 120 mph without the use of his emergency lights.

The investigation found Varkony's action to be a civil traffic infraction and he was given a punishment of 12 hours off from work without pay.

Varkony appealed the disciplinary measure but Seeber denied it.

"I am troubled by your assertion that you did nothing wrong in this incident," Seeber wrote. "In my opinion, you did not exercise good judgment and I hope that this discipline will serve as a reminder to you to avoid such lapses in judgment in the future."


http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vne.../47fd2ac6c1b5b

[Hockey9019]

Does anyone know how to use the archive thing through google or whatever and pull his page?

[Johninaustin]

This man is an idiot. :rolleyes:

[Vesson]

my guess is that there are probably other issues going on...

If you're a "problem child" in this job... ie, you make everyone's lives difficult or dangerous- then these kinds of minor, seemingly harmless things attract all kinds of attention...

A 'normal' officer would never had been even questioned about it. :rolleyes:

[davidh304]

The Oviedo Police Department took away the officer's gun and badge when he claimed online to be a "super-trained killer ninja fighter."

Did anyone actually ASK HIM if he is a super-trained killer ninja fighter? Cause I don't know about you but I would NOT want to be the guy that has to suspend a super-trained killer ninja fighter.




http://www.realultimatepower.net/


The Real Ultimate Power. :D