Eatonville leaders say

Eatonville says Pulse officer was dismissed over complaint

Cpl. Omar Delgado, lauded as a hero after the Pulse attack, was dismissed over a complaint.

EATONVILLE — Town leaders contradicted Pulse hero Cpl. Omar Delgado on Thursday, saying they are letting the veteran officer go because he told a woman he was “emotionally disturbed” during a traffic stop.

The dismissal of Delgado, who saved victims during the Pulse nightclub massacre last June, has sparked controversy and national media coverage. He contended he was being let go because he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of the massacre.

At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Eddie Cole said Delgado would receive 42 percent of his salary and benefits for life, whether he was let go at month’s end as planned, or if he stayed employed for six more months as he requested. Earlier in the week, Delgado told the Orlando Sentinel that if he were allowed to continue working on desk duty for six more months, he would receive 64 percent of his salary and benefits.

Town police pension board administrator Jeff Templeton agreed with the mayor.

“If the city lets him go, it doesn’t affect his proposed retirement at all,” he said. “Today it’s 42 percent, and in six months it’s 42 percent.”

Delgado would not comment Thursday, but his attorney said he should never have been under investigation because he did not do anything wrong.

“They were trying to get rid of him and trying to get rid of him for cause,” said attorney Paolo Longo.

Delgado was lauded as a hero after the Pulse attack and is credited with saving Angel Colon, who had been shot several times as a gunman sprayed bullets throughout the building. In all, 49 were killed and dozens more injured that night.

Delgado’s personnel file contains his most recent performance evaluation, in which

Lt. Eric McIntyre wrote that the officer’s response at Pulse “is commendable and deserving of recognition well beyond this evaluation … Administration looks forward to seeing more of your ideas and work ethic.”

But several months later, an investigation was launched after a citizen filed a complaint against Delgado.

“There was a complaint filed, as a result of that complaint … all of those events have now come to a conclusion that we need to end the relationship with Cpl. Delgado administratively, but not in our hearts,” said Eatonville police Deputy Chief Joseph Jenkins. “We’ve embraced him from the moment he exited the building of Pulse in 2016...unfortunately it has just come to a point that we have to end his employment.”

The internal investigation, which was closed Oct. 1, concluded that Delgado “displayed a rude and arrogant lack of respect” toward a woman he pulled over and that he demanded she not look at him.

A video of the incident, taken by the woman’s brother, showed Delgado telling the woman he was “emotionally disturbed,” his personnel file shows. The woman also alleged that she was pulled out of her car by her hair.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office conducted a probe and found no criminal acts. But the Eatonville internal investigation found that he had displayed “conduct unbecoming of an officer.’’ A police record said Delgado was counseled but not punished.

On Oct. 30, Delgado appealed the conduct unbecoming charge, and in a letter to Jenkins said his PTSD was to blame for his behavior.

“Cpl. Delgado strongly believes he was not ready to be put back on the road due to his Doctor’s recommendation of continued light duty,” the letter states. “Due to Cpl. Delgado being released to active road duty and not [having] been medically [stabilized] with medicine at the time of the incident, Cpl. Delgado feels that the discipline of Conduct Unbecoming is unmerited.”

The letter said Delgado struggles with repeated nightmares of the night of the Pulse attack, and only sleeps about three to four hours nightly.

Delgado’s last day of work will be Dec. 31.