Sunrise Police Sergeant Cleared of Threat Charges Amid Ongoing Investigations

In a significant legal development, Daniel Rodriguez, a sergeant with the Sunrise Police Department, has been cleared of charges alleging he made threats to kill Lt. Brian Katz, the head of the department’s internal affairs unit. The case raises serious questions about internal conduct and accountability within the police department.

Background of the Case

Rodriguez turned himself in to authorities in June, facing serious allegations that included threats to kill and extortion. His attorney, Michael Gottlieb, asserted that these charges were retaliatory, stemming from Rodriguez’s claims of misconduct against a superior officer.

Allegations of Misconduct

The center of the controversy involves allegations against Lt. Katz regarding the mishandling of evidence related to a 2017 incident. Rodriguez contended that Katz had inappropriately removed an antique fire alarm bell from a marijuana grow house and displayed it as a trophy at the police department, rather than properly placing it into evidence.

“It was taken from a house, and it was placed in the police department as a trophy,” Rodriguez remarked, drawing a parallel to an officer misappropriating property during an arrest.

Text Messages and Charges Dropped

Rodriguez did admit to sending threatening text messages about Katz to a friend. One message reportedly read, “Just saw Katz running on Griffin. I thought about stopping and shooting him. I want to kill him.” However, Prosecutors later dropped the charges against him, indicating that the messages were neither sent directly to Katz nor demonstrated actual malice.

Rodriguez expressed relief upon the dismissal of the charges, describing the situation as a difficult period in his life when he felt the need to vent to a friend.

Retaliation and Ongoing Investigations

Following the discovery of these messages through a search warrant, Rodriguez claimed that the police department had retaliated against him for reporting Katz’s alleged misconduct. He stated, “It’s retaliatory. It’s people in positions that are abusing their power and position to conduct a cover-up.”

Department’s Response

In contrast to Rodriguez’s claims, the Sunrise Police Department described his allegations of retaliation as false, asserting that their investigation into his behavior commenced independently and was not tied to his grievance against Katz. Rodriguez was under scrutiny for various violations, including an incident where he allegedly sent autopsy photos of an individual involved in an officer-involved shooting in 2020. While cleared of some charges, Rodriguez was ultimately found in violation on others, leading to his dismissal from the department late last month.

Next Steps for Rodriguez

Despite being terminated, Rodriguez has vowed to fight for the restoration of his position. He remains determined to clear his name, stating, “They’re trying to stain my name… And it’s not going to happen.”

As this situation continues to unfold, the integrity of internal investigations within law enforcement agencies remains a vital concern.

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