Post by KC on Jul 1, 2006 20:08:02 GMT -5
Officer William Scott Wheeler
July 01, 2006 - FELLSMERE — A local police officer has resigned from his law enforcement post after being charged with beating up a live-in girlfriend for the second time since 1998.
Fellsmere Police Officer William Scott Wheeler, 34, of Melbourne, turned in his badge June 21 before giving his formal statement and interview to internal affairs investigators about the alleged attack, according to the internal affairs report released Thursday.
This is the second time Wheeler has resigned from a police department after being charged with domestic violence.
Wheeler was arrested May 20 and charged with domestic violence battery after Melbourne Police Department officials alleged he repeatedly battered the woman and caused multiple bruises.
He also faced multiple departmental code of conduct violations including three offenses punishable by up to termination for the first wrongdoing.
He was accused of violating policies for insubordination, neglect of duty, violations of the law, misuse of a weapon, violation of laws related to the Police Department and the code of ethics for public officers.
The accusations were sustained after the investigation was completed without speaking to Wheeler, said Fellsmere Police Chief Scott Melanson.
"We gave him multiple attempts to come and speak with us. We even had a date scheduled, but he canceled and wouldn't call us back," said Melanson. "I actually had to drive up there to his home to speak with him."
Wheeler was removed from his paid suspension June 21. He later delivered his resignation notice to the Police Department. Melanson said he even went as far as to draft up a termination notice, but Wheeler resigned before he had a chance to deliver it.
"He has lost any respect and credibility from the public he served. He has brought shame and discredit to the Fellsmere Police Department," Melanson wrote in the final internal affairs report to Wheeler.
Wheeler's resignation said he was quitting, "due to personal matters in my life." He could not be reached for comment Thursday, but Melanson said Wheeler apologized for casting a bad light on the Police Department.
Several of Wheeler's neighbors told the Fellsmere Police Department they heard the woman "screaming for help" and even asked some of them to call 911 on several occasions, according to the report. Although records show numerous calls were made to 911, no reports were taken before May 20.
The woman finally admitted to police she was beaten by Wheeler and wanted to pursue charges, the arrest affidavit stated. She even contacted the Fellsmere Police Department to confirm his weapons were taken way because she said he threatened to kill her and himself if she went to police, according to the affidavit.
She told Melbourne Police Wheeler put blankets over her head, choked her and told her to stop crying because he didn't want to lose his job, according to the affidavit. He later allegedly punched her several times, slapped her and pulled her hair, the affidavit stated.
However, later when meeting with Fellsmere Police about the incident, she denied all of the previous allegations and said the bruising and screaming was from "rough sex," according to reports.
State records show that was not the first time Wheeler was accused of hitting a woman.
While an officer with the Melbourne Village Police Department, Wheeler was charged in Satellite Beach with domestic violence battery in 1998. He resigned from the Police Department after he was arrested.
The charge was later dropped, but a pre-hire letter to the Fellsmere Police Department in 2004 stated he got into an argument with a former girlfriend in 1998 and later completed a 26-week domestic violence class.
He continues to go through the court proceedings for his current charge.
He is not related to Gary Wheeler, former Indian River County sheriff and current County Commission vice chairman
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