Miami’s most controversial cop is getting his badge back, but he’s not going to be back on the street.
About seven months after Police Chief Manny Morales fired Capt. Javier Ortiz — the embattled former union boss and longtime firebrand known for racist social media posts and accusations of excessive force — has been reinstated. Ortiz is returning to a desk job after he reached a settlement with police brass, according an agreement obtained by the Miami Herald.
“The South Florida Police Benevolent Association, on behalf of Capt. Javier Ortiz, and the city of Miami have reached a resolution to all pending matters regarding the employment of Captain Ortiz,” said Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association. “Both parties believe that it is in the best interests of the citizens of the city of Miami and Captain Ortiz.”
According to the settlement agreement, Ortiz is expected to return to an administrative job directly under Morales. Sources say he is expected to retire sometime after November.
Miami City Manager Art Noriega declined to comment on the settlement agreement.
Morales fired Ortiz in September, citing a “pattern of behavior and his failure to maintain a good moral character.” Ortiz’s attorney said he had received a reprimand over incorrectly filling out off-duty time sheets. Ortiz challenged the firing.
This week’s settlement comes two months before Ortiz’s case was set to go to arbitration. Sources familiar with police disciplinary matters said it would not have been a surprise if Ortiz won his old job back.
Ortiz, an 18-year veteran and former police union boss, frequently made headlines. In 2020, he proclaimed in a public meeting that he was Black, citing the “one-drop rule,” an old racist trope that implied anyone with any degree of Black ancestry, was Black. He was suspended a week later.
State and federal authorities investigated Ortiz for two years over misconduct allegations. By April 2021, the investigation resulted in no criminal charges but highlighted a string of questionable arrests and “a pattern of abuse and bias against minorities, particularly African-Americans.”