Sarasota Police Chief Orders Investigation Into Traffic Stop

SARASOTA, FL — Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino has ordered an internal investigation into a traffic stop last month involving a 63-year-old black resident, who was arrested during the encounter and injured.

"We recently received a press release regarding Mr. Ronald Davenport as it relates to an incident that occurred on May 12, 2020," the agency said Tuesday in responding to a news release that appeared to be from one of Davenport's daughters. The release was sent to multiple news organizations, including Patch.

Sarasota police responded by releasing court documents and photos of Davenport's injuries. The agency said Davenport has not responded to multiple requests to provide his account to investigators.

"There are significant differences in the press release provided to the media, and the information documented in the reports and provided to the courts reference the criminal charges that are pending," the agency said.

According to the documents released by Sarasota police, Davenport was charged with resisting a law enforcement officer without violence and cited for an improper left turn in his 2003 Mercury. The police photos show Davenport with cuts to his head and leg.

"On May 12, 2020 my father, a 63 year old man was harassed and beat up, once again at the hands of Sarasota PD," the family's press release said. "He was drug from his car, slammed to the ground, placed in a choke hold, and kicked multiple times in his chest."

The family's press release said Davenport was "harassed" for three nights by police who flashed a bright light into his car on two of the nights.

"Finally on the third night, I guess those cops just wanted to have some fun," the family's press release said. "After the brutal beating they once again placed on my father, they 'let him go' with only saying he was pulled over for an improper lane change and this situation was a case of mistaken identity."

The family's press release claimed Davenport had not been arrested and no police report was filed, something which appeared to conflict with police documents.

"Somehow my 63-year-old father had to muster up the strength to get himself to the emergency room," the family's press release said, noting Davenport spent a few days in the hospital. "We were told he suffered from fractured ribs, lung damage, lumbar spinal strain, multiple abrasions all over his body from his head to his knees, and multiple popped blood vessels in his eyes."

The family's press release said the encounter was seen by a woman and other people who were passing by at the time. The stop occurred shortly after 9 p.m. in the 3400 block of N. Washington Boulevard.

"Thank you to whoever you are, because you may be the very reason why my father is still alive and we’re not seeking justice for his death," the family's press release said. "Sarasota Police Department, this is not over. We want answers and we want them now."

The police report said Davenport became angry and failed to comply with the officers' commands, including failing to remain in his vehicle. Police said Davenport pulled his hands away when officers attempted to place handcuffs on him, prompting one officer to "take him to the ground, where he continued to resist officers' attempts to place him into custody by tensing his arms and burying them underneath his own body."

Police said Davenport was taken into custody after a "brief struggle." Police said they found "remnants of an alcoholic beverage" on the passenger side floor board of the car.

DiPino, who spoke out against the handling of the George Floyd arrest in Minnesota, also ordered an internal investigation into a May 18 daylight arrest of 27-year-old Patrick Carroll, whose rough arrest was captured on video.

See also: Sarasota Arrest Video Shows Officer Kneeling On Man's Head, Neck

"Chief DiPino was disturbed to see an officer kneeling on the head and neck of an individual in the video," Sarasota police said at the time. "While it appears the officer eventually moves his leg to the individual's back, this tactic is not taught, used or advocated by our agency."

In the days following the death of George Floyd, DiPino suspended her agency's use of a "vascular neck restraint," a technique that compresses the carotid arteries and jugular veins of suspects to gain compliance. Police said the technique did not allow officers to use their leg or knees.

The Sarasota Police Department's procedure permitted officers who were trained in the vascular neck restraint technique to use it on any person who demonstrated "active physical resistance to resist arrest" and who appeared to have the ability to physically harm the officer or others, if the use of lesser force was not likely to "achieve safe control of the subject."

Sarasota police ask anyone who witnessed the Davenport arrest or took video of the incident to contact the agency's internal affairs department at 941-263-6027.