ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s been two-and-half years since Taylor Marini has worn his Orlando police department uniform.
Once nominated for officer of the year, and now he is out of a job - but that may change.
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WFTV told you two years ago, Marini was fired after OPD said he lied and falsified reports when he stopped a shoplifting suspect at Publix.
OPD investigators said Marini’s story didn’t match the body camera footage and his statements were “incompatible with public trust” so OPD fired him, but now the state’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission has dismissed those claims.
Channel 9 asked him what that means for him now, “I don’t know, I live my life a day at a time – two-and-a-half years ago I traded on my gun belt for a tool belt,” Marini said. “But I would love the opportunity to return home with my brothers and sisters and be a police officer again in the city of Orlando. A city that I care about.”
That would depend on the Orlando Police Department.
The Fraternal Order of Police, who represent Orlando police officers is not representing him in this matter, but we are told the process would mean, the officer could have to go back to an arbitrator to fight for his job back.
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Marini hopes it won’t be that complicated.
“I think with this new chief of police I’ve got a better chance than ever, but that was not a decision for me to make - I can tell you that they took everything from me.” Marini said. “That’s why I’m here this morning, I don’t want any other officer to have to endure things that I’ve been through on this journey that I’ve been on over the last two-and-a-half years because my career died January 14, 2022.”
Orlando police said it does not comment on findings of the CJSTC.
In an email to WFTV News, OPD stated that Officer Marini had two cases go before the commission both were termination cases. One for truthfulness and other for policy violations. The other termination case was for false reports and excessive force and that the CJSTC only has jurisdiction on the officer’s certification. Their findings only affect his certification. An Orlando Police Officer’s discipline can only be overturned during the grievance or arbitration process.
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