Four Florida Deputies Fired for Hiding Body Camera Footage

Four Charlotte County Sheriff's Office deputies were terminated in April 2025 after an internal investigation found they attempted to conceal body camera footage from a February incident involving the use of force against a homeless man.

On February 4, 2025, five deputies entered a wooded homeless camp behind Englewood Hospital in Sarasota County while assisting a bail bondsman searching for a woman with an active warrant. Instead, they encountered Brian Berk, who had an active warrant and fled when approached by law enforcement.

Deputies chased Berk through the camp, took him down with physical force, and pressed a Taser to his collarbone. None of the deputies activated their body cameras upon arrival at the scene. The cameras were not turned on until approximately one hour later when Tasers were drawn.

Following the incident, no Use of Force reports or Show of Force reports were filed as required by department policy. Three deputies labeled their body camera footage as "false activations" in what investigators later determined was an attempt to hide the recordings.

A Charlotte County Sheriff's Office records supervisor flagged the videos nine days after the incident, triggering an internal affairs investigation. The resulting 22-page report sustained findings of neglect of duty, improper conduct, and conduct unbecoming against multiple officers.

Sheriff Bill Prummell characterized the deputies' actions as "a conscious effort to conceal the incident." On April 14, 2025, four deputies had their appointments withdrawn: Corporal Russell Epeards, Deputy First Class Sean O'Keefe, Deputy First Class Timothy DeGrasse, and Deputy Daniel Wilson. A fifth deputy, Deputy First Class Jacob Earner, received a reprimand but retained his position.

No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the incident.