Andrew Baseggio case led to KPD investigation, shakeup in administration and policies
A former Kissimmee Police Department officer who pled guilty to felony charges related to a 2023 excessive force case — that led to an investigation of a KPD "culture of silence" and a major shakeup in the department's former administration — was sentenced Mondy to nine months in the Osceola County Jail.
As part of his sentence, Andrew Baseggio, an 18-year member of the KPD force must also serve 18 months of supervised probation and complete 50 hours of community service and an in-person anger management training course. He pled guilty to the charges in late April and surrendered his law enforcement credentials. While the maximum penalty under state guidelines for his felony charges of battery, official misconduct and tampering with a witness could have been 40 years, this plea deal included a sentence between 60 days and 24 months.
It all stems from an April 22, 2023 incident in which Baseggio and other officers responded to a residence on Brack Street in reference to a disturbance. According to the investigation, Baseggio entered the home without a warrant and "used force that was not consistent with Kissimmee Police Department’s use of force policy," including a pair of knee strikes to the face and the use of a taser, to take resident Sean Kastner into custody, resulting in serious bodily injury. The State Attorney's Office uncovered evidence Baseggio spoke with other officers about their testimony during the use of force investigation, and wrote a falsified report to avoid an internal affairs investigation.
A deeper SAO investigation uncovered a pattern of covering up and failing to report other excessive force cases to state authorities. It led to the implication of 11 KPD employees, including Baseggio and then-Chief Betty Holland, who resigned on Oct. 27, 2024. Three other officers were terminated or resigned their posts. Current KPD Chief Charles Broadway continued the investigation, including putting Deputy Chief Wilson Muñoz, one of the 11, on paid leave last month while the new administration conducts an internal investigation into his role in the matter.
At Monday's sentencing, Baseggio's defense attorneys provided letters from co-workers, who called Baseggio an upstanding citizen and a fine field training officer who has "taken accountability for his actions, one act that can't be undone." Defense attorney David Bigney noted that, because of injuries sustained in a crash on the way to responding to an emergency call, Baseggio suffers from injuries that caused seizures and require medical attention that would make incarceration "not advisable".
Baseggio spoke in his defense, saying he "never thought he'd be in this situation" and had been in no other disciplinary issues at KPD.
"To Sean I say I'm so sorry; you never deserved to be struck. I was trained better than that; I knew better than that. My conduct questioned all police officers, specifically KPD. On that night, my actions impacted public trust and safety," he told Judge Keith Carsten, detailing the awards he'd earned over his career. "Once I was formally charged, I took full responsibility and testified truthfully and against any others involved. I did this because it was the right thing to do."
Assistant State Attorney Sean Wiggins countered by noting Baseggio's entry into the Kastner home was "a sudden warrantless entry" that led to the two "vicious strikes not covered by training and guidelines." Wiggins portrayed the former officers as a participant, rather than a product (how Bigney described him) of the prevailing KPD culture, and that Baseggio's charges of tampering with witnesses showed his willingness to cover his actions.
In laying down the sentence, Judge Carsten agreed.
"I don't believe Officer Baseggio got up that morning with an intent to violate someone's rights," he said. But that's what happened. There was no justification for that and clearly a violation of standards. I set my sentence considering the expectations of law enforcement and the community."
Members of both Baseggio's and Kasten's families attended the sentencing, and left without commenting to media.
