MIRAMAR, Fla. – Cellphone video captured Miramar police Officer Anthony Pacetti cursing at and threatening a group of intoxicated young men at a birthday party, after insults and rocks were allegedly hurled at the officer.
Before it was over, Pacetti had tossed down his own badge and stunned two of the men with a Taser. The State Attorney's Office confirms it is reviewing the 2013 case that led to a one-day suspension for Pacetti.
"One of the little (expletive) around here was throwing rocks at my car," Pacetti yells at the men. "Because about three rocks have been thrown and I'm about to start throwing (expletive) teeth on the ground."
Pacetti's first mistake, according to internal investigators, was his decision to confront the men before back-up arrived. His next mistake was using profanity and threatening them. Another was throwing down his badge after one of the intoxicated men, David Burgos, 22, challenged him to take off the badge and fight him.
Much of the incident is on cellphone video taken by one of the men at the party. It shows Burgos, prior to his physical confrontation with Pacetti, questioning the officer, who asks him, "Are you a lawyer?"
"No," responded Burgos. "But you're threatening to knock somebody's teeth out?"
"Yes," said Pacetti.
"Who are you?" asked Burgos. "Get the (expletive) out of here."
Then off-camera Burgos allegedly challenged Pacetti to remove his badge and fight him. Pacetti tossed his badge to the ground, a move internal investigators wrote "signals to Mr. Burgos that he can now assault a police officer and he charges at Officer Pacetti."
Pacetti responded by using a Taser on Burgos and another man who was trying to restrain Burgos.
The video picks back up with Pacetti on top of Burgos ordering him to put his hands behind his back. Burgos, who is not threatening the officer at this point, does not put his hands behind his back and Pacetti stuns him again on the ground.
"You charged me!" screamed Burgos. "You charged me! I didn't do nothing."
"Stop resisting," said Pacetti.
"I'm not resisting," said Burgos. "You just threatened me!"
Pacetti received a one-day suspension for conduct unbecoming an officer and a uniform violation for removing his badge.
"Officer Pacetti faced difficult circumstances when encountering this hostile, threatening crowd of intoxicated men. His decision to take action by himself and confront the crowd with profanity and threats not only jeopardized his safety, but may have contributed to escalating the level of hostility towards him," Sgt. Jeff Armiento wrote in the investigative memo. "His behavior is a violation of Miramar Police Department Policy, as it relates to the treatment of the public in a professional manner that is absent of officious or overbearing attitude or language that may belittle, ridicule or intimidate an individual."
Burgos would plead no contest to misdemeanor assault and disorderly intoxication.
State Attorney's Office spokesman Ron Ishoy said the agency is reviewing the case, but has not begun a full-fledged criminal investigation.