FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale’s interim city manager fired a longtime police officer accused of racist behavior on Tuesday.
John Giga, who served as an officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department for 16 years, has a history of disciplinary issues dating back to 2013, according to court records.
The NAACP and the public defender’s office called for his immediate termination after an internal affairs investigation into an incident that occurred on Thanksgiving 2023.
The latest incident, which has prompted these calls for his firing, was partially captured on surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News.
Authorities say the surveillance video shows Giga engaging in what they described as “aggressive and racist behavior.”
Investigators say on the night of the incident, Giga was seen arriving at a parking lot, reportedly after drinking, and began using racial slurs towards some Black individuals.
The surveillance video then shows Giga following one of the cars, leading to a physical altercation that left him bloodied, authorities said. Officers responding to the scene found him bruised and lying on the pavement.
Reports indicate that before the altercation, Giga used his patrol car to visit several bars, where he drank and harassed a woman via text message. The woman, who was frightened by his behavior, hid from him when he arrived at the bar, according to authorities.
Giga’s attorney denies the claims, saying that the officer is the victim and that attackers left him in an empty parking lot beaten.
An internal affairs investigation into the incident led FLPD Chief Bill Schultz to recommend Giga’s termination.
Interim City Manager Susan Grant agreed with Schultz’s recommendation.
Per the city’s police union contract, Giga has a right to file a grievance and arbitrate his termination.
Giga’s attorney released a statement to Local 10 News.
“Unfortunately, John was wrongfully terminated by the city today. I look forward to obtaining justice for John, who was a victim of a brutal attack by three violent criminals, clearing his name and getting him fully reinstated to his position as a police officer.”
Eugene Gibbons, attorney for John Giga