a Florida Monroe County detective was
accused of battering a fellow detective
inside a police substation Sergeant
Nicholas Whiteman placed a fellow
detective in a wrestling type hold
without his consent in late 2022 the
detective who was the victim sat down
with Monroe County Sheriff investigators
to share his story
yesterday
so um
I was talking to Ian in this cubicles
and I forgot what the topic was
and um I had to believe and say hey
Darnell come here I said oh no Molina
and Melina's in his
office
inside of the
uh
process room
and uh so I said I'll be right there
um what I did not know he was calling me
over there to
uh let me know that one of the recruits
from the academy was inside his office
and he wanted to kind of surprise me and
say hey because he wanted to apply uh to
work for the sheriff's office I didn't
know he was in office uh process room
I'm basically wrong
[Applause]
um
so when I make my way over to Molina's
uh
cubicle I'm sorry in his uh
[Applause]
crime scene office
half of my body outside of the uh
process room and have my body inside
again had the door open and let's just
say Molina's standing here in a new
recruit standing here and we're kind of
engaging in the conversation and he's
asking questions about you know him
coming to work for us he you know so
money was showing him around basically
so as I'm standing here
I feel at the time a body really close
to me
and um when I turned around
it's it's Sergeant Whiteman and uh he
goes hey what are you guys doing
and I said uh well I'm just I'm doing
nothing I was just talking to them and
you know I'm gonna get back to work
so I get ready to walk or [ __ ] off
and me playing Sergeant white man he put
his hand up and he put it kind of like
on my chest and and now I have like a
little small area to walk up
and he says where you go
um so when I'm still walking forward I'm
going back to my office
and at that point he's still trying to
kind of hold me from walking away
and at that point now I'm trying to go
past him his hands here and then he
takes his his hand from my chest he
wraps it around my arm
and now I'm like I'm like
right you know like this
and um at that point I'm pulling away
with this arm and then he grabs my dog
and as he's got both of my arms
I don't know what he was trying to do
was he trying to hold it up keep me
there
uh so at that point I'm telling him like
[ __ ] let me go you know so uh and I
pulled both my arms away from him
and uh and I just went off to my office
and I was pissed off because I'm like
why are you putting your hands on me I
didn't I don't know how do we get to
that point I don't play with this man
like that
I don't let alone being in front of
these the the the new guy and Maria but
but anyway I was pissed off
and it was so pissed I had you know I
gotta I said you know what
I don't want to overreact
let me get up let me go outside so I
walk that up
I walked outside got me some fresh air
and I'm trying to calm down and uh
so I walked back inside I go back to the
cubicle
sit down and start attacking my report
um
that's uh Sergeant white we came back
into my cubicle a couple of times just
kind of maybe see if I was mad at them
did I have a Vibe with them and things
like that I didn't say nothing to him so
uh he said uh hey hey we all want to go
to lunch
because I don't like it never goes to
lunch with me and Jose
um
so then I was standing in my head okay
is he trying to see
am I pissed off with him so I played it
cool
um
because they're normal problems
but in the back of my mind
as a man there is no way in the world of
God's green earth
that uh
this team let you put your hands on me
and think that you know that you think
everything's okay so that that's darn it
that's me
and uh and last night
so when I went home
I was laying in the bed
[Applause]
and I was saying man I didn't even see
you at night
because I've never in my life
has money
put their hands on me and I couldn't do
nothing about it
so I woke up this morning
and my smile and you know and I did like
this and I was like my shoulder kind of
sore
and then I hit me oh that's when this
this guy tried to you know grab me and
put me in the floor I don't know what he
was trying to do full of Nelson or
something
[Music]
and uh so I told my wife I want my wife
up because usually I get up and go to
work
before my wife get up so I woke my wife
up and I barely I don't even talk about
work at home
and I told my wife what happened
and my wife was in disability
and um
sitting at that point you know I made it
I made up my mind and I need to report
this
um and and and again
I'm reporting to the point where you
know I don't want nobody to go to jail
or anything like that however
I don't want nobody walking I'm thinking
they can put my big hands on me
and thinking that's cool because
I don't think it's cool and um
I don't know maybe God was on my side
that day or something like that because
that don't happen right now
and um so so that's just
that that's that's that's pretty much
what happened and that's how I feel
um
and I was I was born you know I'm more
pissed off
okay um
got somebody
will put in their head
to put their hands on me and they think
I'm supposed to be okay with that
I I don't like that now the other
department stuff like far as like like
you know we come to work sometimes
um I'm sorry not sometimes all the time
and there's times when
um
you know he'll he'll refer hey hey hey
you you come here come here
hey Sergeant white you know my name is
Darnell not hey right
there's times that I had to check him
about that in the front of the you know
in front of um
on my team we went if I had to tell him
that in front of in public you know we
do a full drive he'll get with the the
public and he starts to talk to us as if
as if he owns us or he'll talk to me as
if he owns me or something like that
wait a minute you don't know my name
right now
um so I have a problem with that and I
told him about that
that was another issue I had with them
but again I spoke to him about spoke to
him about it so I'm thinking
it's okay you know okay and um another
and I don't have a problem with going to
somebody
and uh so it was just I guess um the
other stuff
I could deal with I can get him I can
come to work get in my car
go do my follow-ups and I'm done for the
day you know if I have an issue in the
office or something like that
um and I and again there's other other
times what I would go to him and say hey
um
um
you know we work for the sheriff's
office right
we work for the sheriff as a whole you
know you know uh he'll he'll he'll talk
to talk to not only but talk to the unit
as if he owns us you know and I'm like
hey man we work for the sheriff's
department and I have to do that
frequently in front of the team just to
let him know we all know the same team
is to investigate
that's it we come to work investigate
um and and maybe
he see that as a sign of weakness I
don't know but um I'm not a weak
individual I come to work and try to be
positive and and keep a positive
atmosphere but never
I'm not going to invite you to put your
hands on me and um
[Applause]
I still can't think that uh
um I don't know what I'm saying but that
that's my version
or of course you know
I want to clarify too
um I'm not here at any I.E from aspect
at all
um you know I'm here
investigating potential criminal
allegation
um and yeah that allegation was that
you know he
touch you or struck you
without your permission
um the the issue is complicated
obviously because you're both
Law Enforcement Officers correct
um
and that's the way it's going to be
investigated is essentially battery on
law enforcement officer
um
if you don't mind me asking what were
you what were you wearing exactly
yesterday I know I saw you in the
parking lot a little bit but just a
little record I want to say uh this is a
time but black long sleeve uh with a
burgundy tie I think
foreign
[Applause]
a lot of stuff
we wanted the same outfit when we
started might even grab you by your
hands in the CSI office yes okay
all right
um so knowing that this direction away
I'm kind of ahead with the you know
potential charges you know battery on
that Leo what do you want to do as far
as prosecution wise
well I don't want nobody to go to jail
or nothing like that that's I mean I
think that would be
I never want to see nobody lose their
job or nothing like that that's that's
just not that's not my goal
um
I I know this I know this I don't think
me and him can
[Applause]
work together I can tell you that much
um
and I don't think he respects me as a
man
and I don't that that's that's how I
feel because if you respect me as a man
you would have never you don't you never
put your hands on me like that and um
and I was and I was always raised that
if a man goes as far as putting his
hands on you he don't respect you
and and that's how and that's how I see
that
and I came I got kids and I'm not gonna
walk I can't I got kids and wife I I
don't I can't even tell my kids and wife
I let a man put their hands on me and I
did nothing no uh that's that's not
that's not happening
I get that man
um
we'll just put it more since we
um you do my first charges Again Sam
I really don't even know my options
oh I never been through this before
um so when you say press charges
like I really don't understand what that
means
well I'm gonna
I want to continue
you know basically have an audio
whatever the case number
um I'm gonna investigate this like a
battery like I said battery on the law
enforcement officer I'm going to talk to
you being the victim I want to talk to
potential Witnesses
um
First Franklin Road the reserves the
ones trying to get hired with us yes
okay I plan on talking to him and I plan
on talking to you uh to lightning uh
sorry to Whitman as as of what happened
you know and if you say any of one of
those charges you know I'm gonna do all
those things and if we have enough
probable cause we'll at least present
the facts in the state and see what they
have to say
um
you know as far as options I mean
options aren't really right now
um
you
you can say hey I don't and then another
case I have a no process form
um I also have a
written statement form
um I mean no different than a battery
out on the street you know I'm gonna go
through all the same exact same emotions
so
[Applause]
my thing is I don't want to say I don't
want to prosecute
and then
if nothing happens
in that behavior
continues it can be real can be somebody
else
um that would be my only reason of not
saying I don't want to prosecute
um
so that that's that's my mindset right
now and maybe it's a lot of it I'm still
mad about it maybe I'm making that
decision because I'm angry
[Applause]
um and we know that's when you're angry
that's the worst time to make a decision
um
I don't hate or I don't just you know I
don't have any evil will against him
[Applause]
by all means
I'm not gonna let another man put their
hands on me
and um
I think that's okay so that's where I'm
at um so if that's if the the answer the
question is press charges then then the
answer is yes
okay
all right
um
[Applause]
and as a victim
if I choose to do so I we can also drop
the charges in my career
yeah okay
I mean like
that's kind of kind of uh it's weird
because I know that you know this you
know that I know this but can just try
hard to do with it for the code
according as well obviously at any time
you can say Hey you know one pursue
charges
um if you right now I'll say I don't
want to pursue something and then you
try to go back after the fact it's a lot
harder to get correct to do that so
requirement if that noise into your your
decision making
um
[Applause]
so
this happened
yesterday it was right before lunch
um
I remember roughly what time I want to
say around by 11 8 between 11 11 30. you
know it was happened right before lunch
because we had we was making a decision
of what we wanted to do
okay so I know that you mentioned
[Applause]
and a white man being there obviously
was there anybody else that heard
anything or saw anything I'm not sure I
didn't even talk to anybody about it
um at that point no I didn't I didn't
talk to nobody about it I just like I
said when the lunch actually he he went
to lunch with us he invited himself to
go to lunch with us and I think he just
invited himself because he knew that
what he did was improper
awesome
I'm just saying you know
so I know you said that your shoulder
hurting
um
I mean
I know it seems kind of uh weird coming
from difficult do you I mean do you want
any medical attention to your shoulder
no I'm gonna probably go I'm gonna
probably go get it check it out
because what I'm saying is it's a
difference between injured and so but I
still want to get it looked at because I
don't want to say nothing's wrong with
it in there so I'm losing ends up my
voice is there any any abrasions or
anything like that no secret outside no
no it's it's you can just hate when you
go
all right
um
so what what kind of proceeded to call
this I mean was there any any indication
that uh there was going to be an
escalation of the point where Sergeant
Whiteman or after you or is this totally
random popular vote I still don't know
I still don't know I I was talking to
Ian before I was in the in office
and then that's when won't call me in
his office so it's not like I spoke to
Sarah before me even going in there and
he I don't know I still don't know
[Applause]
any uh
did he make any comments to you while he
was doing this other than you know it's
hard for you to go or was that the only
one thing no no to come and I remember
him saying was uh what are you doing
and that was
me saying to myself okay what am I doing
as in
go back
and then that's when he put his hand up
you know put his hand right here and
keep me from going forward
and um I really believe he was trying to
show off and try to bully me in the
front of the new guy that's that's
basically what I thought that's why
that's why I'm feeling like that
um so
I just
like I said he could it just could have
went bad
[Applause]
he would
his hands on you or I think because
because I think he's when you nice to
him he he take that as a sign of
weakness
Italia I think when you're nice to them
you come in you you greet everybody
you're happy things like that I think he
I think he uh take that as a sign of
weakness and I really think that he put
his hands on me to kind of like
a show off in front of the new guy and
Bully me
um
[Applause]
I'm just glad I didn't respond the way
that I
I would have naturally responded
so
I don't even be honest with y'all even
feel right making the report that's just
how I feel like
man God bless that man yesterday I swear
to God
[Applause]
roughly how long this whole interaction
it's probably about a good 15 seconds oh
God it was about a good 15 seconds it
wasn't nothing it was I don't think it
was quick
you know it was a process and
um so when my first sleep first rap like
it's almost like you try to put me in a
full nelson you know
yeah so that's that's kind of how it was
so
this is the first time first and only
time this type of incident that happened
or is there other I guess concerning
behavior that
built on this again I think it's I think
[Applause]
the title he holds as a sergeant he
thinks he owns the people that work
under him because he always make
comments as you work for me
he makes comments like that and I have
to correct him and let him know no we
work for the sheriff's department we
work for the sheriff
we get the same check from the Sheriff's
Office
I have to frequently correct him on that
all the time and again to me that's just
a a man that uh is in a position of me
thinking in the position of control over
you
um
um another thing too is I get another
example I had to go to him about uh
my wife's grandfather died
and he uh
he he's from the Bahamas
so
call Sarge say hey Sarge I gotta take
some days off I gotta go to a funeral my
wife and grandfather died
and his comment to me was you know how
to take days off it's on you your wife's
grandfather
well I'm just I'm just messing with you
man I just saying so that was kind of
comments too frequent and we talked
about it I had to go to him and say hey
man you know um
um
um
I wasn't right what you said and he
apologized okay
um so far it's a lot of different times
we had to sit in this together as me and
him and um I have to address things that
he says in order to get him to
understand
that it's inappropriate like the things
that he say
you know so and again
I think
combination of that
is it's just we got this you just don't
have respect for you that's it you just
don't have to restart it for nobody else
so
[Applause]
[Music]
I see to your knowledge has he
attempted to do anything like what he
did to you yesterday uh put his hands on
somebody or
you know
show off like trying to try to put
somebody in his little Nelson or
anything like that before I haven't seen
him do that before no okay what about
any other any other Behavior that's
unique to you only
that doesn't give you anybody else no I
think just you just belittles everybody
let's just see he just he just tried to
bully everybody especially when Ryan
come around he try to be
um just credit you your word you try to
discredit the things you do
um how much how much time you give in
the Sheriff's Office you know things
like that
so I don't think it's just to me it's
just I'm the only person that brings to
his attention that when he says things
inappropriate that is that it's not
that's inappropriate to to the people
that are employed for the sheriff
[Applause]
[Applause]
um
[Applause]
and is that
consistent throughout the day or
whatever
every day
[Applause]
uh any concerned about any other actions
or behavior but pretty this way you know
or anybody else they had to complain
to the captain
because he don't even say good morning
to when you walk through the door
so he'll just come up to you and just
start talking
don't even tell you good morning
don't even have to say hey how you doing
sir hey what's hey can you tell me about
this you know he just starts talking in
the air
and then when you don't answer and say
did you hear me
[Applause]
all right
is there anything else that you want to
speak to that I might not have asked you
or
um
not that I can think of this
especially on this topic so
[Applause]
um I know it's kind of
kind of brief right now
um
I'll give that to you
um I will also get you a victim's rights
question just so you have
maybe written State performance page if
you want I can give it to you
um you know fill that out detail what
you just told me and then you know when
we're down I'll swear to you and do it
and then uh
you know if anything else comes up to
mind you know let me know and make sure
you get it on record so
[Applause]
[Applause]
um
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
disconcerting on the other one my friend
I apologize
[Applause]
foreign
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
questions
okay can I can I give you this tomorrow
I need to feel this honor
to be great if possible
um you can use my pen and appreciate
your family that's that's fine too
Sergeant Whitman was arrested and booked
for battery
his case was dismissed in a pre-trial
intervention agreement in January of
2023. a look at the Monroe County
Sheriff's Department's office website
indicates that he is still on the force
there is no information available on
what his disciplinary actions were from
the incident