OPD officer suspended after pushing woman, breaking her teeth

Livio Beccaccio caught on video pushing woman down, gets 40 hours unpaid suspension

ORLANDO, Fla. – The veteran Orlando police officer who was caught on video using an "arm bar" technique on a 100-pound woman, breaking her teeth, has been suspended for 40 hours without pay.

The video, captured by a city camera, shows Officer Livio Beccaccio taking 20-year-old Lisa Wareham by the left arm before she hits the pavement.

OPD said at a news conference on Thursday that Beccaccio's actions were "excessive." They released their internal investigation information Thursday and apologized to Wareham.

Wareham was initially charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest but the state attorney's office dropped all the charges against her.

The incident happened Feb. 25, 2011 around 1:45 a.m. in the 100 block of East Central Boulevard across from the Orlando Library and was caught on video by an Innovative Response to Improve Safety camera mounted at Magnolia Avenue and Central Boulevard.

Wareham, a single mother who was out with her friends at the time of the incident, told Local 6 last year she could not believe what happened.

"I went to sit up and I felt something in my mouth. I spit (my teeth) out. I didn't even know what to think," she said.

Wareham said there was a disturbance nearby and a man was shoved into her. She said as she was questioning the man as to why he bumped into her, Beccaccio led her away and hurled her to the ground.

Beccaccio's police report said, "Wareham, with her right hand, reached across her body and smacked me several times in my right hand and arm."

The video shows Beccaccio holding Wareham by her left arm, and she ends up on the pavement in less than 10 seconds.

Wareham never appears to resist or try to strike Beccaccio, the video shows.

In the official report, Beccaccio writes, "Wareham stumbled forward and fell to the pavement."

Beccaccio was there responding to the disturbance, but the video shows the scene to be calm when Becacccio and other OPD officers arrived.

Deputy Chief Jeffrey O'Dell Beccaccio has been with OPD for 10 years, has never been disciplined and has been a member of the SWAT team and Honor Guard.

Still, Wareham says Beccaccio should be fired. Wareham's attorneys said they plan to file a civil suit against OPD within the next week.


Recommended Videos