Miami Sgt. Roberto Destephan was suspended on Friday, Nov. 30 after a video circulated around on the internet in which he was seen tossing a Jewish prayer book into a pickup truck and calling it “crap.”
Though the Miami Fraternal Order of Police has identified Destephan to be the man in the video, it has also asserted that the video was “heavily edited” and that Destephan is the victim of “blackmail.” Destephan is currently running for reelection.
Still, Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina did confirm in a public statement that Destephan has been suspended for the indefinite future. Colina said, “I would like to reassure our citizens of all faiths we stand in solidarity with them.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. In the Video, a Voice Can Be Heard Saying ‘This Crap, F*ck This’ in Regards to a Hebrew Bible
In the video, a man (whom the MFOP has since identified as Destephan) throws a case inscribed with the Star of David into the bed of a pickup truck. He then throws a a copy of the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, onto the bed as well.
“This crap?” he says. “F*ck this.”
The video then pans to Destephan’s face as he says, “Taking out the trash, dawg.” It’s not entirely clear when the video was taken, though the Miami Fraternal Order of Police, a union that represents Destephan, did confirm that the video was taken “years ago.”
2. John Cunill, a Lawyer Who Represents Miami Police Officers & City Officials, Was the One Who Gave the Video to WPLG News Station
John Cunill is an attorney whose firm represents Miami police officers and local officials. Cunill was the one who received the video from an unknown source and provided it to local news channel ABC Local 10 on Friday.
Cunill said of the video, “It’s just something that’s wrong. It’s morally wrong.” He declined to reveal how he obtained the video.
He said further, “I don’t know how you can watch that video and your soul not be touched. Once viewing the video, we were really disturbed.”
3. Destephan Has Been Suspended With Pay & an Internal Investigation Is Taking Place Over the Incident
For the time being, Destephan has been suspended with pay, and an internal investigation will take place over the incident. Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina condemned the video in a statement on Friday, saying, “When you look at the video, what it appears is to be anti-Semitic speech and a desecration of the Torah.”
Colina continued, “Hate in any form is unacceptable…I would like to reassure our citizens of all faiths we stand in solidarity with them.”
According to the Miami Herald, approximately 630,000 Jewish people live in Florida.
4. The Miami Fraternal Order of Police Released a Statement on Dec. 1 Labeling the Video ‘Doctored’
The Miami Fraternal Order of Police, a union that represents Destephan, swiftly released a statement on Friday that said the video was “doctored” and that Destephan is a victim of “blackmail.”
It further claimed that the video occurred when the FOP union office was “full of mold and termites,” and that these items were being discarded for “health reasons.”
The statement read in part, “While the created video appears to be distasteful and insensitive at first glance, we believe when the entire story is fully investigated the sinister motivations behind its creation will become obvious.”
The MFOP further confirmed that it is cooperating with the Miami Police Internal Affairs Unit on the investigation.
5. Destephan Has Been With the Police Department For 13 Years; He Has Not Made a Public Comment on the Matter
Destephan is a 13-year veteran of the police force. He has not yet made a public comment on the incident.