A Sanford police officer has been fired after taunting a jail inmate over McDonald's french fries and later activating his Taser as a threat while the inmate washed his patrol car, according to the agency.
Officer Mickey Hinkley, a nine-year department veteran, was placed on administrative leave the day of the incident, June 4, and was fired after an internal affairs investigation concluded he violated agency policies.
Sanford police initially reported that Hinkley may be guilty of assault but the State Attorney's Office opted not to file any criminal charges.
According to a 30-page investigation, Seminole County Jail trusty Victor Gonzaga Rivera was washing Hinkley's patrol car at Sanford police headquarters, putting "tire shine" on its wheels, when Hinkley complained, according to an incident report.
The officer then activated his Taser, and Gonzaga Rivera took off running, thinking he was about to be shocked, according to another trusty at the scene.
No one was hurt, and Hinkley told an internal affairs investigator that he was merely testing his Taser.
Earlier in the day, Hinkley had violated another agency policy by taunting Gonzaga Rivera with a McDonald's bag that he hinted contained french fries.
Hinkley held a McDonald's bag in front of him, telling him, "Here's your food," according to the report, and later suggested he might feed him fries through the cage that separates the front seat from the back.
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McClatchy-Tribune News Service
