US officials, police misconduct roundup: Florida deputy flees crash scene; Colorado detective's wrongful arrest leads to $24M verdict

Illustration: Peter Bagge

Florida Deputy Forces Driver Off Road, Leaves Scene

A sheriff's deputy in Orange County, Florida, forced a driver off the road near Walt Disney World while merging and then left the scene without stopping.

The driver, Ivan Schiffino, said the deputy cut across a painted divider without using a turn signal, forcing both vehicles into the median to avoid a collision. Video from Schiffino's dash camera shows the patrol car making a U-turn, turning on its lights, and driving away. The deputy never stopped to check on the other driver.

Former California Jail Guard Sentenced for Battery

A judge in Santa Clara County, California, sentenced former jail guard Francisco Izayas Castillo to 45 days in jail after a jury convicted him of misdemeanor battery.

The charge stemmed from a 2022 incident in which Castillo, the only deputy in the housing unit at the time, helped two inmates beat up a third. When the attackers said they were going to carry out the assault, Castillo told them to "handle it," then gave them rubber gloves and opened the victim's cell door. After the attack, when the victim activated an emergency alarm in his cell, Castillo turned it off.

Indiana Police Chief Accused of Selling Evidence Gun

Investigators say Earl Mayo, former police chief of New Chicago, Indiana, sold a handgun to a pawn shop that had been stored as evidence in a criminal case.

When authorities discovered the gun was missing, prosecutors say Mayo tried to have another officer buy it back. Mayo also allegedly asked two officers to retrieve weapons and anabolic steroids from his house before federal investigators could find them.

Colorado Jury Awards $24 Million in Police Misconduct Case

A Colorado jury awarded former New Jersey investment manager Robert Dial $24 million—estimated to be the largest police misconduct judgment in state history—after a police detective wrongfully arrested him in connection with a 2022 shooting involving Dial's son.

After Dial hired a lawyer for his son, Detective Shannon Brukbacher of the Parker Police Department repeatedly pressed Dial for information, even though he was in another state and had told his son to cooperate with police. Brukbacher also accused Dial of hiding a gun, even though officers had found it at the scene. The arrest permanently cost Dial his license to work in the financial industry, effectively ending his career.

Illustration: Peter Bagge

Texas Employee Stole Homeless Aid Funds

Selene Varela pleaded guilty and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for stealing money meant to help the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While working in the Community Development Department in Amarillo, Texas, Varela stole $41,350 in federal housing aid by creating fake landlords, tenants, and housing applications. She even paid her own rent for six months with housing vouchers. Varela is the third employee in her department caught embezzling from the program.

Alabama Probate Judge Suspended for Misconduct

Jefferson County, Alabama, Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard was suspended for serious misconduct after a complaint accused her of mishandling cases and behaving unprofessionally.

Her poor management of the docket delayed involuntary commitment hearings for months, forcing some people to stay imprisoned or hospitalized longer than necessary. The complaint also says she called herself "the ultimate authority" with "no boss" and retaliated against attorneys and court employees. Blanchard faces a trial before the Alabama Supreme Court on seven ethics charges.

Illustration: Peter Bagge

Georgia Woman, 95, Threatened Over Window Dispute

In Macon, Georgia, a neighbor complained that the windows on Paula East's historic row home, which was built in 1860, were inauthentic to the style and hurt neighborhood resale values.

A design review board sided with East, but the county zoning commission later overruled that decision, threatening the 95-year-old East with fines and jail time if she didn't install compliant windows within 60 days. Officials dropped the case only after planners found a certificate showing they had approved the current windows in 2002.