Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey today issued a statement defending the arrest of a Flagler County Sheriff’s detective by one of his officers last week on a charge of fleeing and eluding. The State Attorney’s Office dropped the charge just five days later, suggesting there was no defensible case for the arrest, which may have raised questions about the justification for the police officer’s actions.
Sheriff’s Detective Ardit Coma was arrested on U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach the morning of Dec. 4. He’d been going 88 in a 55 mph zone, on his way to work in Bunnell. (He lives on Lucky Drive in Ormond Beach.) The charge was dropped on Dec. 8, an extremely fast turn-around. He still faces a speeding ticket and an internal affairs investigation, which may lead to penalties from his agency.
The decision to drop the charge “reflects prosecutorial discretion and does not indicate wrongdoing by our officer or any deficiency in how the traffic stop was handled,” Godfrey said in the statement.
“Our Sergeant acted in good faith and based his decisions on the totality of the circumstances observed at the time,” he said. “Officers operate under the legal standard of probable cause, which is distinct from the prosecutorial standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. A prosecutor’s decision not to pursue charges is a judgment about what can be proven in court. It is not a finding that the officer acted improperly or lacked legal justification.”
Godfrey said based on the arrest report, the facts stated by his officer, Sgt. Caleb Braun, supported the arrest. The arrest report describes Coma as oblivious to the sergeant’s emergency lights even as other vehicles were yielding. “It was apparent the vehicle was actively attempting to flee,” the report states. The emergency lights were deactivated and the sergeant signaled to an officer ahead to deploy stop sticks.
There, Coma drove around the deployed stop sticks and stopped. By then there was no cop car behind him. Coma later explained to sheriff’s officials that he thought Ormond Beach police were involved in a pursuit, and he was pulling over to assist. He was then arrested, though other Ormond police officers concurred that Coma appeared bewildered, and found his behavior at the scene consistent with that of a law enforcement officer thinking he was assisting another agency.
“We stand firmly behind our Sergeant,” the chief said in his statement. “His actions were consistent with OBPD training and expectations, and the information available to him at the time fully supported the decisions he made. We value our partnerships with surrounding agencies and remain committed to constructive collaboration in service to the communities we all protect.”
Coma had been suspended without pay between his arrest and the dropped charge. He was reinstated Monday to a desk job pending the result of the internal affairs investigation. The Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding Godfrey’s statement, and was reviewing it before possibly responding.
Jim says
Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey doesn’t need to defend his sergeant to me or anyone else. He did his job properly and the charges were proper as well. The fact that the State Attorney’s Office dropped the charge just five days later is not a reflection on either his department or the sergeant. It is a strong reflection on the State Attorney’s Office. Confidence in our judicial institutions is waning almost daily and this doesn’t do anything to change that.
I was on the interstate yesterday and a blacked out Charger with a floodlight on the driver’s side exterior was coming up the passing lane at a “high rate of speed” to put it mildly. I watched this Charger run right up the rear end of a car which had the audacity to be doing only 80 or so in the passing lane. The Charger pushed the car until it moved over for him. I watched that repeat for two more cars after that. Oh, by the way, the Charger has Florida State government plates. So, I’m fairly sure it was a police vehicle. Not the first (nor the last) time I’ll see that but my first thought was about the Flagler cop who was pretty much doing the same (speed). My point? Seems the police around here feel pretty confident they can run at high speeds without any consequences. (Sure, I could have gotten the plate number and reported it. Anyone think there would be any consequences????).
So to the Ormond Beach Police Department and to all police officers who do actually follow the law as well as enforce it, the public does watch and we do see what you do. I can say I always feel a little more confident in our police when I see them doing “right” and a little less so when they go 80+mph with impunity. Right now, I guess I’m a little less confident in Flagler Sheriff’s office and the State police as well as State Attorney’s Office since none of them seem too concerned with following the law nor how the public perceives their actions.
jim says
hey Pierre u r an F’n azzhole i cant believe you would publish an LEO’s home address as if it isnt hard enough doing the job today than worrying about some psycho knocking on ur door … good job Moron n u have the audacity to beg for money… keep begging
FlaglerLive says
Since you brought it up, and named me personally behind your cowardly mask, I’ll address you openly, “Jim.” First off, his address isn’t listed. His street, yes. There’s a difference, though it may not be apparent to dimwits. Funny name too, given the circumstances. Second, do you, fucking nitwit, think LEO are the only creatures threatened on this earth? Do you really think my home, which doesn’t benefit from that exemption, and therefore my family, my children, my life haven’t been threatened routinely for the site I edit and the articles I write, by the likes of you (see above)? Do you think I have the arsenals and the cop-car shine I can park in my driveway as deterrent? You’re damn right we’ll keep begging. Security costs alone at this house run us $800 a year. Want to help? Didn’t think so. You know where you can stick your audacity. Like the sun, your wits don’t shine there.