Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland has resigned, in the wake of a State Attorney's investigation into an April 2023 excessive use of force case.
Officials announced that Holland, who became the chief in April 2023 after five years as a deputy chief, tendered her resignation Sunday. City Manager Mike Steigerwald accepted it Monday.
Robert Anzueto, who had spent 30 years with the Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff's Office, has been named the interim chief, and will lead the department’s comprehensive response to the concerns raised in the State Attorney Office’s letter about the investigation, city officials said.
This is all in response to a letter sent to the city on Oct. 21 from the Ninth Circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney Ryan Williams regarding "concerns about the truthfulness and conduct of specific Kissimmee Police Department personnel" and the investigation following a use of force case against Officer Andrew Baseggio in an April 23, 2023 incident — which occurred less than a week before Holland officially replaced outgoing and retiring Chief Jeff O'Dell.
According to the State Attorney's investigation, Baseggio entered the home without a warrant, and that body cam footage showed the officer kneed a man in the face and tased him multiple times.
It was deemed Baseggio, "Used force that was not consistent with Kissimmee Police Department’s use of force policy to take a man into custody, resulting in serious bodily injury to the man ... There is also evidence that Baseggio spoke with witnesses about their testimony during the use of force investigation and wrote a falsified report to avoid an internal affairs investigation."
Bassegio was indicted by grand jury earlier this year, was arrested and charged with felony battery, misdemeanor batter, two counts of tampering with a witness and perjury. He was scheduled to go to trial this week; it has been continued to the Dec. 3 trial docket.
As part of the State Attorney's investigation, 20 KPD members were interviewed, and the testimony of 11 were questioned for "information the SAO9 learns and believes affects the credibility and/or truthfulness of a recurring state witness."
Among those were Bassegio, Chief Holland, Deputy Chief Camille Alicea, Lt. Omar Barrio, Cpl. Tekeya Close, Sgt. Moises Diaz, Det. Jonathan Fernandez, Sgt. Raquel Fernandez, Cpl. Justin Lunsford, and Officers Milagros Sanchez and Michael Strickland. The city has directed the Orange County Sheriff's Office to lead the investigations of those officers referenced.
In general, the accusations include giving inaccurate or untruthful testimony, instructing fellow officers not to comply with the investigation or "demonstrating bias that call into question fitness to conduct criminal investigations.
In addition to Holland's resignation, the city has taken these actions:
- Deputy Chief Alicea had already retired in September ahead of being terminated, after she was caught up in an investigation and was facing termination as the city alleged she used a homophobic remark about a lesbian female officer seeking a promotion.
- Det. Jonathan Fernandez and Officer Milagros Sanchez have been placed on administrative leave.
- Lunsford has been transferred out of the Professional Standards Section.
“We fully support the dedicated officers who serve our community with integrity,” Steigerwald said in a city statement. “However, for those who do not meet our high standards, we will ensure a thorough, independent review of all allegations is performed and will make the necessary changes within the department to maintain trust.
“We recognize the issues posed by the actions of a few individuals. However, we are equally aware of the many dedicated officers who embody the values of service and integrity that should not go unnoticed. Our commitment to them, and to the community, is unwavering. Together, we will work to restore trust and ensure that every officer is held to the highest standards of conduct.”
