Tallahassee police officer arrested, fired after alleged assault at local nightclub

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A Tallahassee police officer is out of a job after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a man while off-duty at the Bajas Beach House nightclub last month.

Derek Braxton, who at the time was a sworn officer with the Tallahassee Police Department, was arrested on Feb. 15. He was charged with assault and battery for the incident which took place on February 12. However, his arrest and dismissal from the department were not made public until the Tallahassee Democrat first reported it Thursday.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WCTV, Braxton is accused of grabbing the victim by the throat and attacking him several times before punching him in the face. The two were eventually separated by off-duty officers, said court records.

According to court records, the victim told police he knew Braxton and the pair had had a falling out roughly two years prior over a personal relationship. In a follow-up interview with detectives, the victim said there were several previous run-ins with Braxton, including claims that Braxton made threatening comments and had repeatedly shown up at the victim’s house unannounced. The victim said he had never reported the incidents because he did not want Braxton to lose his job.

Local attorney Mutaqee Akbar is representing Braxton. He confirmed Braxton was fired by TPD shortly after his arrest, but Akbar questions whether or not Braxton was treated fairly.

“I think there was a lack of an investigation,” Akbar told WCTV. “It did not go through the internal affairs process at all. There were the allegations and then he was fired. And I think there’s a difference in what we’re hearing now about, you know, the discipline procedure for other officers.”

WCTV called TPD and emailed the department a list of questions Thursday evening, including

- Why the department did not publicly announce Braxton’s arrest and firing

- Whether Braxton has faced other disciplinary action while working with TPD

-Whether TPD was aware of a history of Braxton making threats toward the man he allegedly assaulted.

A department representative answered the following afternoon. You can read the response here.

Akbar also mentioned a lack of discipline for another TPD officer, referencing reporting from the Tallahassee Democrat, which found Chief Lawrence Revell chose not to fire an officer who tested positive for the drug Adderall. WCTV has filed a public records request and independently confirmed the information.

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