BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – A Boynton Beach police officer was fired last week because he was arrested last year in a prostitution sting set up by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, the Boynton Beach Police Department announced Tuesday.
Officer Vintyre Finney received a letter from City Manager Lori LaVerriere April 11 that said he was being fired for conduct unbecoming a police officer because he and his attorney failed to provide the city with evidence proving Finney's innocence in the case.
READ: Full termination letter
"Your attorney did not provide additional evidence or information for me to consider in this matter, other than an alleged 'extended version' of a video, of which none has been produced to date, and speculation as to what might be contained in such video," LaVerriere wrote.
According to an internal affairs report, Finney was arrested Oct. 17 after he exchanged $20 for oral sex from an undercover Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detective, all of which was recorded on video.
Finney, who was hired by the police department in August 2008, was placed on administrative leave with pay on Oct.19.
"The decision to terminate someone's employment is difficult for all involved, but when it becomes apparent that an employee is either unwilling or incapable of maintaining agency standards, it's a decision that must be made," Acting Chief Kelly Harris said. "The community counts on us to manage the police department in a way that reflects our principles of civility, accountability and pride. We are committed to continuing to turn this agency around and rebuilding the community's trust."
Finney had previously been disciplined once, in February 2009, after he left a suspect's cellphone on top of his police cruiser during an arrest and drove away, forgetting to retrieve the phone. The phone was damaged beyond repair and Finney received a verbal warning for failure to perform duties/unsatisfactory performance, an internal affairs report said.