Orlando commissioner claims emails, texts from police as ‘harassment’

When Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose was involved in a traffic incident following the Cheez-It Bowl football game on New Year’s Eve, she appeared visibly upset on video from Orlando police body-worn cameras. Now, emails and text messages obtained by WESH 2 Investigates through a public records request reveal Rose’s anger has been simmering for a year and a half. In one text message to Heather Fagan, chief of staff to Mayor Buddy Dyer, the commissioner writes that she will “expose the harassment I have been getting from OPD (Orlando Police Department) for the last 18 months.” Rose’s dissatisfaction with the police department came to a boil as 60,000 fans were exiting the Camping World Stadium property. Police set up cones and barricades to direct those exiting near Carter Street to follow directions to the State Road 408 toll road entrance ramp heading east. Rose, who lives less than a mile from the stadium in the Parramore neighborhood, wanted to drive around a cone to return home on local streets. Officers declined to allow it. “That’s unprofessional. And the chief is on the phone,” Rose told one officer in one of the exchanges captured on body camera video. She was referring to police Chief Eric Smith, who was listening on the phone after Rose called him to provide her side of the story. You can hear one officer explain to the District 5 commissioner, “You’re impeding the flow of traffic, ma’am. I need you to move your vehicle. The road is blocked right there.”Rose responded, “Do you hear how aggressive he’s getting, chief? I’m the commissioner. I live in Parramore. You can’t tell me I can’t go home.” Less than 30 minutes after the traffic incident, records show Rose emailed Chief Smith from her official city email account, and copied city Chief of Staff Fagan, Chief Administrative Officer Francis J. Flynn, and David Arnott, chief of staff to Smith. In that email, bearing the heading “rude officer,” Rose described one officer as “rude and nasty.” On Jan. 6, the commissioner followed up, emailing a message saying in part, “I would like to review the body cam footage.” Arnott confirmed in an email on Jan. 9 that “body cams” would soon be provided to Rose. While the commissioner was not ticketed during the traffic incident and was allowed to drive onto the expressway, she was mailed a ticket for “impeding traffic” and fined $164.She faces a hearing on March 2 in Orange County court. In January, Rose texted Fagan and Flynn, writing, “When my mail comes today, if this is that ticket from the incident at the 408, I am holding a press conference and going to expose the harassment I have been getting from OPD for the last 18 months.” Rose also texted Fagan, “No one has protected me, and on multiple occasions I have emailed, called, texted, and made police reports about it.” Fagan replied, “I am not sure what you mean that you need protection. As I am aware, OPD is providing the same resources to all City commissioners.” Fagan also advised Rose, “I can’t stop you from holding a press conference but I don’t think that is the best approach for resolution.” Additionally, Fagan told the commissioner, “I am discussing your request for a meeting with (the) Mayor. I know he has a meeting with Chief (Smith) on Monday, so I am sure he will want to talk with him more first.” Such a private discussion between an elected mayor and elected commissioner would be prohibited under the Florida Sunshine Law. Fagan told WESH 2 Investigates that no such meeting took place. Fagan also texted Rose, “(Police) are pulling the body camera (video). And F.J. (Flynn) is working through the community meeting (you requested), and I know plans to follow up.” The meeting references Rose’s desire to gather people in the Parramore area to generate ideas to improve traffic flow to and from stadium events. In an exclusive interview with WESH 2 News on Jan. 25, Rose also strongly denied she was attempting to avoid a traffic citation when she called Smith. She just felt that she and other drivers were being forced to pay a “tax”… a toll charge simply to leave the stadium property. In an email from the Orlando Police Department, a spokesperson told WESH 2 Investigates, “As you can see from the body cam, all of the Officers involved were professional. Any allegations of harassment or unprofessional behavior is not true.” In a follow-up email, the spokesperson addressed Rose’s claims of “harassment,” saying, “If she is referring to Police Officers, no complaints have been filed against any Officers by the Commissioner. If there were complaints, they would be thoroughly investigated in accordance with department policy. If she is referring to citizen harassment, then I would suggest that you complete a public records request seeking any reports the Commissioner may have filed with the department.”

ORLANDO, Fla. —

When Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose was involved in a traffic incident following the Cheez-It Bowl football game on New Year’s Eve, she appeared visibly upset on video from Orlando police body-worn cameras.

Now, emails and text messages obtained by WESH 2 Investigates through a public records request reveal Rose’s anger has been simmering for a year and a half.

In one text message to Heather Fagan, chief of staff to Mayor Buddy Dyer, the commissioner writes that she will “expose the harassment I have been getting from OPD (Orlando Police Department) for the last 18 months.”

Rose’s dissatisfaction with the police department came to a boil as 60,000 fans were exiting the Camping World Stadium property.

Police set up cones and barricades to direct those exiting near Carter Street to follow directions to the State Road 408 toll road entrance ramp heading east.

Rose, who lives less than a mile from the stadium in the Parramore neighborhood, wanted to drive around a cone to return home on local streets. Officers declined to allow it.

“That’s unprofessional. And the chief is on the phone,” Rose told one officer in one of the exchanges captured on body camera video.

She was referring to police Chief Eric Smith, who was listening on the phone after Rose called him to provide her side of the story.

You can hear one officer explain to the District 5 commissioner, “You’re impeding the flow of traffic, ma’am. I need you to move your vehicle. The road is blocked right there.”

Rose responded, “Do you hear how aggressive he’s getting, chief? I’m the commissioner. I live in Parramore. You can’t tell me I can’t go home.”

Less than 30 minutes after the traffic incident, records show Rose emailed Chief Smith from her official city email account, and copied city Chief of Staff Fagan, Chief Administrative Officer Francis J. Flynn, and David Arnott, chief of staff to Smith.

In that email, bearing the heading “rude officer,” Rose described one officer as “rude and nasty.”

On Jan. 6, the commissioner followed up, emailing a message saying in part, “I would like to review the body cam footage.”

Arnott confirmed in an email on Jan. 9 that “body cams” would soon be provided to Rose.

While the commissioner was not ticketed during the traffic incident and was allowed to drive onto the expressway, she was mailed a ticket for “impeding traffic” and fined $164.

She faces a hearing on March 2 in Orange County court.

In January, Rose texted Fagan and Flynn, writing, “When my mail comes today, if this is that ticket from the incident at the 408, I am holding a press conference and going to expose the harassment I have been getting from OPD for the last 18 months.”

Rose also texted Fagan, “No one has protected me, and on multiple occasions I have emailed, called, texted, and made police reports about it.”

Fagan replied, “I am not sure what you mean that you need protection. As I am aware, OPD is providing the same resources to all City commissioners.”

Fagan also advised Rose, “I can’t stop you from holding a press conference but I don’t think that is the best approach for resolution.”

Additionally, Fagan told the commissioner, “I am discussing your request for a meeting with (the) Mayor. I know he has a meeting with Chief (Smith) on Monday, so I am sure he will want to talk with him more first.”

Such a private discussion between an elected mayor and elected commissioner would be prohibited under the Florida Sunshine Law. Fagan told WESH 2 Investigates that no such meeting took place.

Fagan also texted Rose, “(Police) are pulling the body camera (video). And F.J. (Flynn) is working through the community meeting (you requested), and I know plans to follow up.”

The meeting references Rose’s desire to gather people in the Parramore area to generate ideas to improve traffic flow to and from stadium events. In an exclusive interview with WESH 2 News on Jan. 25, Rose also strongly denied she was attempting to avoid a traffic citation when she called Smith. She just felt that she and other drivers were being forced to pay a “tax”… a toll charge simply to leave the stadium property.

In an email from the Orlando Police Department, a spokesperson told WESH 2 Investigates, “As you can see from the body cam, all of the Officers involved were professional. Any allegations of harassment or unprofessional behavior is not true.”

In a follow-up email, the spokesperson addressed Rose’s claims of “harassment,” saying, “If she is referring to Police Officers, no complaints have been filed against any Officers by the Commissioner. If there were complaints, they would be thoroughly investigated in accordance with department policy. If she is referring to citizen harassment, then I would suggest that you complete a public records request seeking any reports the Commissioner may have filed with the department.”