Cop vs. cop: Arrest after crash brings lawsuit

Seconds after Kevin Thomas lost control of his pickup truck and hit a palm tree in eastern Miramar, a police officer showed up.

Instead of helping, the officer slammed Thomas to the ground, accused him of being a burglar, handcuffed him — and then learned Thomas was a Miami-Dade cop, according to a suit Thomas filed Tuesday alleging false arrest.

Thomas overheard Officer Yahmed Yema in a telephone conversation with his sergeant during the March 15, 2014 incident on Acapulco Drive admit that he had messed up, the lawsuit states.

When the sergeant came to the scene, he and Yema saw an empty red cup on the floor of Thomas’ vehicle and concluded that cup must have contained beer, according to the lawsuit. Yema said that alcohol was every-

“Based on what the police say happened, there are clearly issues with their story.” Wendell Locke, attorney for Kevin Thomas

where, that the vehicle’s interior was saturated and Thomas was drenched in beer. Yema said Thomas’ speech was slurred and his eyes had the glassy appearance of someone who was drinking.

The Miami-Dade cop’s supervisors were also summoned to the scene.

Thomas was given four traffic tickets, for speeding, failure to stop, open container and expired tag. He was released without being asked to perform a field sobriety test or blow into a breathalyzer, according to the lawsuit.

There was no explanation given for why those tests were not administered.

Thomas, 50, was disciplined by his employer, according to the lawsuit. Criminal charges were filed by the State Attorney’s Office for reckless driving.

Wendell Locke, the attorney representing Thomas in the lawsuit, said his client has suffered a blow to his reputation as a police officer and that he feels humiliated.

Locke said his client drank only sweet tea that night, and that Thomas lost control of his truck after he inadvertently dropped a lit cigarette onto his lap.

“In these types of cases there is often a huge difference between the version of facts from both sides. You have two people at the same event at the same time saying two completely different things,” Locke said. “Based on what the police say happened, there are clearly issues with their story.”

Thomas fought the reckless driving charge and a jury acquitted him in June 2015. The judge dropped the other charges against Thomas.

A spokeswoman with the Miami-Dade County Police Department declined to comment on the case.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, names Yema and the city of Miramar as defendants.

Jamie Alan Cole, the city attorney, declined to comment on the case, citing the city’s policy of not discussing pending litigation.

It is not clear how much money Thomas is seeking. There are a total of 11 counts in the lawsuit against Yema and the city, including false arrest and malicious prosecution. No court date has yet been set.