Former Coral Gables Officer of the Month Faces Possible Criminal Charges

CORAL GABLES, FL — Four years ago, then interim chief of the Coral Gables Police Department, Ed Hudak congratulated Officer Andre Hammann’s “keen observation skills,” attention to detail and daily work ethic. Yesterday — now Chief Hudak — announced the officer’s suspension with pay pending a criminal investigation into alleged police brutality.

“Officers from the Coral Gables Police Department were in the process of trying to stop a stolen car,” Hudak told reporters on Wednesday.

“During that incident, the car was also damaged by the person that was driving it — a 17-year-old black juvenile,” the chief continued. “During the incident — and post to the investigation — the individual made allegations against officer Hammann . . . that he was kicked during the incident.”

Based on a preliminary briefing, Hudak said he made the decision to relieve the officer with pay following Tuesday’s 3:30 a.m. incident. The chief said that officers and supervisors at the scene followed departmental protocol in reporting the incident through the chain of command. Hudak in turn, activated internal affairs, which visited the scene and hospital where the suspect was taken.

“We are doing an active criminal investigation in concert with the state attorney’s office who has been involved from the beginning with the investigators from the Coral Gables Police Department’s internal affairs — at which point, if there are charges to be filed — it will be solely up to the decision of the state attorney’s office and not the Coral Gables Police Department, although we will be the investigating agency.”

Hammann was named officer of the month in August 2014 for an incident that occurred during the midnight shift along Eighth Street, which borders the city of Miami. The officer saw a black Cadillac exit the parking lot of a motel at the time. He thought the car looked suspicious based on its high rate of speed in taking off and he subsequently initiated a traffic stop that proved fruitful.

More recently, the department tweeted a photo of Hammann and another officer in August. The officers bought school supplies for the child of a woman named, “Christine,” after learning that the woman was suffering a financial hardship.

Photo of Officer Andre Hammann from Coral Gables Police.