Philip Levine has a power trip with Miami Beach Police

Philip Levine has a power trip with Miami Beach Police
  • Sumo

Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine has proved, yet again, how difficult it can be for a millionaire businessman who is used to ordering folks around and getting his way to transition to that public servant role and follow the rules.

Philip Levine looks harmless by day. But what about after a few drinks at an after party?
Philip Levine looks harmless by day. But what about after a few drinks at an after party?

Let me get this straight:

First, Levine bullies and baits a police officer at the Art Basel after party of one of his millionaire friends. Then the mayor makes a complaint and has the officer investigated because he fired his taser three times into the ground to disperse a large and threatening crowd. Then Levine doesn’t cooperate in the investigation, refusing several attempts by Internal Affairs to interview him.

And now that Officer Giordano Cardoso is cleared of any wrongdoing after almost a dozen other witnesses describe a “mob scene,” now Levine wants a new investigation under the new police chief? To find out “what really happened,” he said. Oh, he only said he would “welcome” a new inquiry by the new chief. But this is the chief he hired and can fire — ain’t the message clear?

Will he just order new investigations until he likes the outcome?

According to both Sgt. Alejandro Bello, the union president, and Miami Beach Police Spokesman Bobby Hernandez, the Miami Beach Policeonly way to reopen an investigation is if there is new information or evidence.

Oh, wait, does that count his own testimony? Because Levine did not speak to investigators for this complaint. Apparently, he couldn’t be bothered. Will he suddenly have time now so that the investigation is reopened? In fact, he can’t even remember the name of the officer he spoke to the day after the incident.

Ladra calls this the Sunday morning V8 moment. C’mon, we’ve all been there — where we regret something we may have done or said on Saturday night. Or, as fellow blogger Bill Cooke put it on Random Pixels, “Perhaps the reason Levine wasn’t anxious to talk with investigators is that after sobering up, he realized his less than truthful version of events that night, might not mesh with other witness accounts.”

And there are 11 of them — eleven — who say Cardoso’s actions were not only appropriate, but quickly defused a potentially volatile situation.

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5 Responses to "Philip Levine has a power trip with Miami Beach Police"

  1. We already have a substantially number of functional idiots in the MB area. Do we have to also endure such a monumental rectum orifice as our Mayor?

  2. What’s ironic about all this is that Levine, who likes people to see him as someone who’s polished, confident and in complete control of every situation, is now – thanks to the IA report – being shown for what he really is: a monumental douchebag.

    None of what happened that night would have ever become public were it not for Levine filing that complaint against Cardoso.

    Way to go, Mayor Dickhead. You lose!

    • All of those folks live in an alternative reality, Bill. Their narcissism has been insulated well because it’s a strength in that world. Now that they are in the our world I think we will see more incidents like this, which will probably result in one term for Levine (assuming you can serve more than one in MB, IDK).

      • Antal – MB mayor is elected every two years and can serve a total of three terms.

        I think you are absolutely correct…we will see more incidents like this with Levine. He’s not used to having people challenge his authority. He probably acted like this all the time as a private citizen, but now, he’s a public figure and he’s bound to screw up again. And hopefully someone will have a video camera rolling when it happens.

  3. Levine was one up by discarding Overton. Someone close to him needs to set him straight. But then we saw this coming, didn’t we?

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