Photo by JASON EASTERLY
Former Isle of Capri Fire Chieff Emilio Rodriguez
MARCO ISLAND — Former Isles of Capri Fire Chief Emilio Rodriguez has been reinstated as a Marco Island auxiliary police officer after an internal investigation only turned up “he said, he said” evidence in an alleged murder plot, Chief Don Hunter said Friday.
Rodriguez was temporarily suspended from his auxiliary officer duties in March after Ochopee firefighter Juan Flores accused Rodriguez of soliciting him to kill Isles of Capri fire Lt. Keith Perry.
Rodriguez was reinstated Thursday but will receive counseling from Hunter to “avoid conduct that might be misinterpreted by others as unprofessional,” Hunter said.
An investigative finding written by Hunter said Flores’ complaint about the alleged murder plot started as a rumor before it was turned over to law enforcement for investigation. Flores later told police he assumed Rodriguez was making “a joke” but did not say why he reported the plot as a serious allegation.
Flores refused a polygraph and consented only to giving an unrecorded interview and a written statement, the investigative finding said. The document also noted Flores was “observed to be inebriated” on the night of the alleged conversation and was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and battery in an unrelated situation.
“My thought was he had an opportunity that night to tell us about any alleged solicitation to do harm,” Hunter said Friday. “No such alarm was presented to either us or the Sheriff’s Office at the jail.”
Efforts to reach Flores for comment on Friday were unsuccessful.
Both Hunter and Rodriguez’s defense attorney, Donald Day, said they didn’t know if Rodriguez had actually made such a joke or said something that was misinterpreted.
“It seems to be more bad blood” among former colleagues, Day said. “There was absolutely no criminal wrongdoing of any kind.”
As part of the investigation, Rodriguez paid for two polygraphs to be administered by private investigator John Hisler, who has previously worked for both the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office. Rodriguez passed both.
A third polygraph administered by the Sheriff’s Office indicated some deception but could have been affected by the way Rodriguez moved around in his chair during the examination, Hunter said. The polygraph examiner said it was possible Rodriguez “attempted to intentionally distort” the results, a behavior that Hunter said he found “troubling.”
Any future misconduct or allegations against Rodriguez could cost him his job if it shows “a style of behavior” unfitting of a law enforcement officer, Hunter said.
Rodriguez was fired from his job as Isles of Capri fire chief in November for what a county spokesman referred to then as “unsatisfactory job performance.” Rodriguez has contested the firing.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 4
Mayor_McCheese writes:
You have got to be kidding! This is outrageous. With all of the qualified people around looking for jobs, why on earth would we want this guy as a part of the MI police force - even if he is a volunteer?
As the article stated: "The polygraph examiner said it was possible Rodriguez “attempted to intentionally distort” the results, a behavior that Hunter said he found “troubling.”
If he found it troubling, why did he hire the guy? This is very serious and people on Marco Island ought to be alarmed. Whether it was a joke or he meant it, it is clear that there is some very unprofessional behavior going on with this guy.
The city ought to dramatically increase their liability insurance. Although, once the insurance carrier hears about this, the city may be rendered uninsurable.
What a huge mistake.
woozygirl writes:
Marco's Finest!
Brisla writes:
Polygraph exams are not infallible. The examiner only said it was 'possible' - not with 'certainty' or even 'likely.'
Mayor_McCheese writes:
You are absolutely correct and that is why they are not admissible in court. However, they arre somewhat indicative and widely used in many law enforcement/military situations including with the recent Secret Service matter. Also, police frequently use them to rule out suspects.
The police chief is familiar with the limitations and uses of these rsults. Given his vast law enforcement experience which I am sure includes the use of polygraphs, he indicated that the indicated deception was troubling. Clearly he believes they have some merrit in this case, although he chose to ignore his own experience-based instinct.
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