Two police officers are no longer with the city department here after a law enforcement report tied them to the Ku Klux Klan, an official said Monday. Deputy Chief David Borst resigned and Officer George Hunnewell was fired last week, City Manager Gary La Venia said.
The link surfaced in a report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement based on information from the FBI, which learned about the connection during a broader investigation, La Venia said. He didn't know what it was focused on. An FBI spokesman in Jacksonville didn't immediately respond to a voicemail
Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said she couldn't say what was in the report since it is "active intelligence."
The State Attorney's Office told city officials that pending cases from the officers will be reviewed, although Borst's job was primarily administrative and didn't involve much patrolling, La Venia said. The city of 5,000 residents is located about 40 miles northwest of Orlando.
La Venia said residents were surprised. "This city is diverse, tolerant. It's a welcoming community," he said.
IN-DEPTH
- Fruitland Park Officers Accused of Having Ties to Ku Klux Klan
White Supremacist Could Face Death Penalty for Kansas Killings
- Civil Rights Act Anniversary: Survivors Recall Attack During Alabama Sit-In
- The Associated Press
