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Posted by: kwflatbed

The Miami Herald via Knight Ridder


It was the night before New Year's Eve when bottles began flying at Cafe Iguana in Pembroke Pines.

Two men were arrested, one of them for allegedly beating another patron on the head with a liquor bottle and then swinging the bottle at a Pembroke Pines cop.

But it wasn't until the fracas ended and the men were handcuffed that the crowd found out that these weren't ordinary men.

''The men never told us they were police officers,'' customer Stanley Blanc said. 'I found out when the Pembroke Pines sergeant came over and told us that we were going to laugh. He told us `these two jokers are police officers.' ''

The Miami police officers -- who were off duty and out of uniform -- have been relieved of duty with pay. They were taken to the Broward County Jail, where they were booked. They later posted bond and were released.

One of the officers, Raul Cabrera, 28, is accused of repeatedly bashing a Miramar man on the head with a liquor bottle. And when Pembroke Pines police arrived, Cabrera took a swing of the bottle at one of them, they said.

SIX-YEAR VETERANS

Cabrera, a six-year veteran, has been charged with simple battery, aggravated battery and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. A second Miami officer, Richard Alleyne, also a six-year veteran, has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery.

The officers could not be reached for comment.

The incident happened as Blanc, 30, of Miramar, was having an end-of-the-year business party on Dec. 30 at Cafe Iguana, 8358 Pines Blvd. He had reserved a section of the club for his guests.

Shortly before 3 a.m., Cabrera and Alleyne, 30, tried to go through the party. Blanc said he and his brother, Jeffrey, 23, told the two men that it was a private party and asked them to leave. They did not know the men were police officers.

''I told them to please go around,'' Stanley Blanc told The Miami Herald. 'We asked them to leave several times and they said `f--- no!' and pushed my brother. That's when everything broke loose.''

According to police reports, one of the Miami officers grabbed Jeffrey Blanc by the wrists and began arguing with both men.

When Stanley Blanc tried to break up the fight, Cabrera picked up a Kahlúa bottle and bashed Stanley Blanc on the head. Then Alleyne cracked a bottle against Jeffrey Blanc's jaw, according to the police report.

The club's security guards then jumped in, and restrained the 6-foot-4 Cabrera, who held tightly to the Kahlúa bottle, the report said.

When a Pembroke Pines police officer approached Cabrera, the Miami officer swung at him with the brown bottle, reports said. The officer zapped Cabrera with his Taser.

NINE STITCHES

Stanley Blanc drove himself to Memorial Hospital West, where he said he received nine stitches in his head. His brother wasn't treated at the time, but is having trouble with his jaw, Blanc said.

During their short careers with the Miami Police Department, Cabrera and Alleyne have had a number of complaints lodged against them, including allegations of abusive treatment, improper procedure and neglect of duty, according to internal affairs documents.

In some cases, the allegations were not sustained, or the evidence was inconclusive. Their personnel files were not available Thursday, and it's not known whether the officers have any commendations.

The officers have not been fired; they have been ordered to not report to duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

''We're watching the criminal investigation and waiting for that outcome,'' said Miami Detective Delrish Moss, a department spokesman.

''Pembroke Pines [police] took this very seriously,'' Stanley Blanc said. 'Cabrera tried to mouth off to the Pines officer that he was a cop and the Pines officer said ``And? You're still going to jail.' ''



Knight Ridder content Copyright 2005 provided via The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Posted by: Clouseau

When a Pembroke Pines police officer approached Cabrera, the Miami officer swung at him with the brown bottle, reports said. The officer zapped Cabrera with his Taser.

McDonalds is hiring.

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Posted by: RPD931

Quote:

The Miami police officers -- who were off duty and out of uniform -- have been relieved of duty with pay.

Umm, BUH-BYE..

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