Charlotte County Deputies Face Discipline Over Body Camera Violations

Charlotte County Sheriff's Office deputies faced disciplinary action following a February 2025 arrest incident near Englewood Hospital that resulted in Internal Affairs violations. Deputies were assisting a bondsman searching for a wanted woman at a homeless camp when they encountered Brian Berk instead.

After running Berk's name and discovering an active warrant, the suspect fled on foot. Deputies apprehended Berk and took him to the ground using physical force and a Taser during the arrest.

The arrest itself did not result in disciplinary action. However, an Internal Affairs investigation revealed multiple policy violations by the responding officers following the incident.

Sheriff Bill Prummell withdrew the appointments of four deputies and reprimanded a fifth officer. The disciplinary actions stemmed from the deputies' failure to activate their body-worn cameras during the incident, according to the investigation findings.

Additional violations included mislabeling footage as "false activations" and failing to file required show-of-force reports. These administrative failures violated department policies regarding documentation and transparency protocols.

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office released the body-worn camera footage and Internal Affairs records through a public records request. The case highlights ongoing issues with body camera compliance and proper documentation procedures in law enforcement agencies.

Berk was arrested on the outstanding warrant following the foot pursuit and use of force incident near the Englewood Hospital area.