A Sarasota cop is on administrative leave after a DUI charge.
The Manatee County Sheriff's Office says the arrest of Juan Jaimes came on Monday, triggering an immediate internal affairs investigation. Jaimes was already on administrative leave for a previous matter from 2015.
According to the Herald-Tribune newspaper, Jaimes is among three police officers being investigated for the May death of John Kaafi.
Sarasota's ABC 7 said Kaafi died after time in police custody for a traffic stop. "An autopsy report later showed he died from a decrease in blood flow to vital organs due to a cocaine overdose," reports ABC 7.
"Kaafi was the passenger in a car that was pulled over by Sarasota Police in what turned into violent confrontation. Kaafi was eventually arrested, but he never made it to jail. Instead, he was taken to the hospital, where he later died." -- ABC 7 (WWSB-TV)
Jaimes is currently assigned to the Patrol Division and has been a Sarasota Police Officer since November 30, 2011.
“DUI is a very serious allegation and one that we do not take lightly,” said Chief Bernadette DiPino. “We are diligently looking into this matter per our policies and we are conducting a thorough internal investigation regarding this.”
