Tom Lyons on the arrest of Trooper Clifford F. Fisher

[News Flash]

Tom Lyons on the arrest of Trooper Clifford F. Fisher

Charges were filed against an off-duty Florida state trooper who deputies say was intoxicated at a Siesta Key bar in Sarasota County, Florida.

Sarasota Deputy Mark Eve's report says he arrived to see the bar's security staff ejecting two men. One ejectee was going quietly. The other, Trooper Fisher, was resisting, so Deputy Eve said he ordered Trooper Fisher to the ground, but he didn't comply.

When Deputy Eve used force, Trooper Fisher pushed back and then ignored other commands, Deputy Eve's report says.

Deputy Eve tried force again. That time, Trooper Fisher pushed back "so hard that I was knocked to the ground, hitting my head on the floor."

Bad move. There's no winning a fight with on-duty cops. They bring on more weapons and/or more on-duty cops until you lose, and then you're charged with everything possible, including felonies such as battery of a law officer and resisting arrest with violence.

The report says Deputy Eve finally forced the man to the floor and also Tasered Trooper Fisher when he tried to get up. And yet, Trooper Fisher was only charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest without violence, both misdemeanors.

Without violence? No battery of a law enforcement officer? What's with that, you wonder?

I asked the public information officer for the Sarasota Sheriff's Office, Lt. Chuck Lesaltato, if that's why "officer discretion" resulted in what looks like very lenient charges.

Deputy Lesaltato couldn't be expected to answer frankly, of course. But, purposely or not, his answer was more revealing than expected.

"The bottom line," Deputy Lesaltato insisted, "is that the deputy made the arrest of another police officer."

Good point. Yes, that's probably the remarkable thing. And Deputy Eve will probably get undeserved criticism from some colleagues for arresting a Florida state trooper. But maybe reducing charges to a fraction of what a civilian would face is all a deputy can do if a drunken, off-duty trooper forces him into a public wrestling match for a crowd to watch.

Click here for the full story.

From Sarasota to Trooper Fisher:

• Ya'll come back now, ya hear?!!! :mrgreen:

The Trooper was an A$$, The Deputy did his job. The Trooper should have known better and should be ashamed of himself. I hope someone from FHP apologized for the Troopers actions.

First off, the deputies did their job and we should all be embarrassed by this trooper; However, if the roles were reversed and FHP was the arresting agency (yes, insert jokes about real police work here, but I have plent of examples of similar FHP arrests) THIS FORUM WOULD BE EXPLODING WITH FHP INSULTS. Why is this?

Again, good job deputies, he needed to go.

Stay safe.

From Sarasota to Trooper Fisher:

• Ya'll come back now, ya hear?!!! :mrgreen:

I must add that SSOs post was a little inapropriate and antagonistic. If I were in that situation I would have acted as necessary, but would not have enjoyed it or rubed anyone's face in it.. no matter what kind of arse the trooper undoubtable was.

Stay Safe.

From Sarasota to Trooper Fisher:

• Ya'll come back now, ya hear?!!! :mrgreen:

I must add that SSOs post was a little inapropriate and antagonistic. If I were in that situation I would have acted as necessary, but would not have enjoyed it or rubed anyone's face in it.. no matter what kind of arse the trooper undoubtable was.

Stay Safe.

I apoligize. My insult was only for Fisher and not to any other trooper.

The Trooper was an A$$, The Deputy did his job. The Trooper should have known better and should be ashamed of himself. I hope someone from FHP apologized for the Troopers actions.

Nobody from FHP has to apologize for his actions. That is a grown man off duty. So everytime a police officer gets arrested, their agency has to apologize. I don't think so.

Off duty and out of uniform...you are on your own.

It makes me wonder how this would have gone down say 25 or 30 years ago and what the outcome would have been...would there have been an arrest? Would the news media have ever found out? I think not.

Deputy realized this Trooper was a drunk knucklehead, and did the right thing by only charging him with misdem.

Now if the roles were reversed we would be reading on here how troopers are the biggest arseholes in the world (like we already dont), and how dare we lock up a fellow leo regardless of the circumstances. But when its one of us who gets it its okay because the arresting officer just had no choice.