Gainesville Policeman Charged With Timesheet Manipulation Had Previous General Order Violation in Infamous 2022 GPD K-9 Maiming

[Updated Aug 22 with photo captions.]

Gainesville Police Department Officer Maurquice Miller has been charged with scheming to defraud and obtain property. “Miller was paid approximately $3,222 for the incorrect hours—nearly 120 total,” as originally reported by Mainstreet Daily News on Wednesday.  

Miller was previously given a written warning for committing a general order violation following Terrell Bradley’s maiming in July 2022.  

Officer Andrew Milman conducted a traffic stop on Bradley, and he struck Milman in the shoulder and ran away, leading to his eye being mauled out by a K-9 dog. 

The internal investigation states that Miller “used his personal cell phone to take a photo of Bradley’s injury, while displayed on Ofc. Johnson’s issued cell phone, and failed to submit that photo into evidence.”

The GPD spokesperson, Brandon Hatzel, told Mainstreet Daily that GPD is conducting internal affairs and criminal investigations into Miller’s financial variances and that GPD takes “all allegations of misconduct seriously.”

GPD has previously awarded officers after committing misconduct. 

Milman was also found to have violated GPD general orders by making inappropriate comments following Bradley’s maiming and, in January, used force to detain a suspect’s neighbor with the intention of arresting him, believing he was the suspect.

Interim Chief Nelson Moya commended Milman at the August 1 GPD quarterly update for receiving a sworn award in April. 

At the May 2 GPD quarterly update, Moya paid homage to Emma Spaulding.

Under former GPD Chief Lonnie Scott, Spaulding received the title of 2023 GPD Officer of the Year despite her and Officer Tommy Alvin allowing Corporal Brooke Shutterly to commit sexual assault against three exotic dancers under the authority of Sergeant Aaron Wagle two years ago. Besides Spaulding, all the officers received written warnings and were permitted to continue their employment as GPD officers. Spaulding didn't sustain any warnings and wasn't reprimanded in any form.

Miller was also commended at the August quarterly update for receiving an award alongside other officers, including Corporal Casey Walsh and Sergeant Charles Owens. 

The officer honored for valor, Sergeant Charles Owens, was previously named in a 2022 lawsuit for racial discrimination against GPD. The former officer filing the suit alleged that he was racially discriminated against for being Black by fellow members of the K-9 unit, which included Owens. According to a WUFT article, the suit detailed that “Owens allegedly threatened to grow a ‘toothbrush’ mustache and illustrated his point by shouting 'Heil Hitler,' and raising his hand in the Nazi salute three times." The suit also alleged that Owens had said the n-word. A judge dismissed the claims a year later, as reported by the Alachua Chronicle.  

Corporal Casey Walsh is the handler of the K-9 who mauled an innocent homeless woman sleeping in bushes who was thought to be a domestic battery suspect in March. 

Walsh was seen violating GPD’s K-9 policy on the body-cam footage released by GPD; however, Moya said that “the officers followed all departmental policies and protocols.”

It was confirmed in April that Walsh is still the handler of the K-9.

GPD’s K-9 policy states, “The handler must be sure the canine has targeted the suspect rather than someone else."  Walsh allowed the dog to attack someone who couldn’t be properly identified because she was concealed in bushes. 

When Moya worked as Palm Bay Police Chief in 2020, he marched alongside activists protesting the murder of George Floyd. Moya said, “Standing by and watching others put a knee on someone's neck will not be tolerated.”