An Osceola County grand jury report says the Kissimmee Police Department has a "culture of silence” that covers up police misconduct.
State Attorney Andrew Bain released the 34-page grand jury presentment Thursday, four days after Police Chief Betty Holland resigned.
"The grand jury found that the Kissimmee Police Department fosters a culture of silence where officer misconduct is not only not reported, but accepted," Chief Assistant State Attorney Ryan Williams said during a press conference Thursday.
The presentment also concluded:
- Kissimmee officers need "critical incident training."
- The Internal Affairs Section lacked resources.
- Chief Holland failed to comply with reporting requirements under Florida law.
- Some Kissimmee police officers lied or were not forthcoming in interviews or testimony.
- And Holland needed to go.
The report stems from an excessive-force investigation that led to felony battery, witness tampering and other charges against Andrew Baseggio. The former Kissimmee officer was indicted on Aug. 1 and has pleaded not guilty.
The violent arrest of Sean David Kastner occurred on April 22, 2023. The grand jury said the then-42-year-old man appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis at the time.
It found that other officers not only failed to intervene while Baseggio burst into his home, kneed the unarmed man twice in the face and used a Taser on him seven times. The officers also did not report it and helped cover it up, according to the presentment.
Their misstatements about the case -- such as claims that Kastner was armed with a wrench -- were contradicted by body camera video.
The grand jury report details the department's failure to document the use-of-force violation and report it to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission or the State Attorney's Office. The department also did not pursue a criminal investigation.
The incident came to the attention of the State Attorney's Office following a report by WFTV in October 2023. And Chief Holland initially refused to request an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
"The grand jury determined that when the Kissimmee Police Department finally relented and authorized the ... investigation, that that investigation was compromised from the very start," Williams said. "Not only did Chief Holland notify Baseggio about the criminal investigation, but he was also shown the final report before prosecutors reviewed it, allowing him to tamper with witnesses."
The grand jury reported at least 10 other cases involving policy violations that should have been reported but were not. Those extended back before Holland became chief in April 2023.
Williams said there was "a pattern of labeling excessive-force incidents as mere policy failures, rather than specifying actual misconduct, suggesting possible intent to avoid the mandatory reporting."
The grand jury findings also raise concerns about the department's "credibility."
"The grand jury found clear evidence indicating that some officers who are still employed with the Kissimmee Police Department were either not forthcoming or outright lied during interviews and testimony before the grand jury," Williams said.
State Attorney Bain said Kissimmee "has already started taking swift actions to address concerns." Those include appointing Orange County Sheriff's Office Maj. Robert Anzueto as interim chief and asking that agency to investigate the 11 current and former officers "whose truthfulness or conduct were called into question during the investigation."
The investigation into those officers could impact criminal cases on which they worked. Bain said his office will comply with the Brady rule, which according to the Legal Information Institute at Cornell, requires prosecutors to provide defense attorneys with information they have that is favorable to the accused.
The grand jury's recommendations include training and policy changes, along with strengthening the internal affairs section.
In a statement earlier this week, City Manager Mike Steigerwald said Kissimmee "is taking decisive action to address the issues, reaffirming the City's commitment to integrity, accountability, and public trust."
