BELLE ISLE, Fla. — The city of Belle Isle is prepared to pay one of its police officers $45,000 to retire if he promises not to sue for discrimination.
The city said Sgt. Kevin Carter accused the police department of discrimination while he was being investigated for incompetence and insubordination.
Court records said Carter faced a perjury charge and was fired from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
He's appealing the demotion and two-week suspension while negotiating a settlement.
The city believes it would be cheaper and less disruptive to pay him $45,000.
In 2007, Channel 9 reported Carter's perjury arrest when he was an Orange County deputy.
A convicted drug trafficker went free and Carter was fired.
The perjury charge was dropped after witnesses disappeared.
Belle Isle's lawyer said the city never should have hired Carter.
“You have multiple red flags that would say, ‘Don't bring this individual on board,’” said Frank Kruppenbacher.
The internal affairs report said Carter was found incompetent and insubordinate for repeatedly ignoring directives and emails from the new Belle Isle police chief.
Carter's discrimination allegation against Belle Isle is not his first.
He sued the Sheriff's Office for discrimination, lost and had to pay the Sheriff's Office $5,000 in legal fees.
“If you don't settle, you're going to spend at least 50 grand defending it in federal court and more importantly, you're going to keep all of these people who are moving forward,” Kruppenbacher.
The department faced major disruption in 2014 after former Belle Isle Chief Thomas Jackson was indicted on federal bribery charges.
He was convicted last year and the city is moving on with a new chief.
Carter's lawyer was unavailable for comment.
Belle Isle said it believes Carter's allegations are untrue, but is investigating out of caution.
Kruppenbacher said if the current chief was the one who hired Carter, he’d be advising the city to cut both of them loose.