Local buzz: burned teen has flashbacks, Miami has a new chief
The parents of Michael Brewer, the 15-year-old who was set on fire by a group of classmates who claimed he owed one of them $40 spoke to the CBS affiliate in Miami, and say their son is still heavily sedated much of the time, but that when he does come to, he often has flashbacks, thinking he is still on fire. (Video here.) According to CBS 4, the teen’s burns (over 60 percent of his body) are mostly on his back and buttocks. He covered his face during the attack, which probably saved his life. Three of the five teens involved in the attack are being charged as adults.
Considering the alternatives, which included a SWAT commander who, along with Chief John Timoney, was tainted by the over-heated policing during the FTAA summit in 2003, and who, according to the Miami Herald, “was investigated over the controversial beating of a man while in police custody” and who though the investigation was inconclusive, “was found in violation of proper procedures for transporting the suspect in an unmarked, uncaged car…”; and a guy who “in 1988 as a sergeant … was relieved of duty with pay for more than a year after officers under his supervision, in an infamous case, fatally beat drug dealer Leonardo Mercado. Six officers were acquitted, although four were later convicted of covering up the incident,” (he “was not charged, denied wrongdoing and cooperated with prosecutors before returning to the department”…) I suppose Miami could do worse than to pick a pal of the new mayor to be Miami’s next police chief. Interestingly enough, I’m hearing some rumblings that the fourth possible choice, and the only African-American, likely had no chance because Miami recently appointed its first black fire chief. So of course, two’s a crowd, even if they’re not in the same agency… what year are we in, again?
Meanwhile, north of West Dixie Highway, Broward County makes Joe Eggelletion disappear… and columnist Michael Mayo finds some intriguing connections between accused Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein and a year-old murder mystery.
UPDATE: the three teens who are charged as adults in the Brewer case have pleaded not guilty to second degree murder charges.
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