Sean Rossman

Democrat staff writer

Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo fired TPD Officer Chris Ormerod for his involvement in seven preventable traffic crashes since December 2008, according to his termination letter obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat.

The hand-delivered letter, dated July 17, said Ormerod was immediately be placed on administrative leave with pay through July 23, his last day as an officer for TPD. The letter listed a series of disciplinary actions taken against Ormerod, including a 40-hour suspension, mandatory counseling, remedial driver training and a fitness-for-duty eye exam.

His personnel file reveals Ormerod, 28, has faced discipline on multiple occasions for crashing police vehicles during a six-year period:

• Oral reprimand on Dec. 6, 2008

• Written reprimand on Aug. 29, 2009

• 20-hour suspension on March 18, 2011

• 40-hour suspension on Aug. 13, 2012.

He was also given an oral reprimand for conduct unbecoming an officer on March 31, 2008.

Ormerod also received the most severe punishment of all TPD officers involved in the arrest of DUI suspect Christina West last August. West, 44, was left with broken facial bones and other injuries during the arrest, which was caught on dramatic dash-cam video. She was charged after crashing her SUV into an unoccupied home in Killearn Estates.

An internal affairs report released in December found Ormerod and Officer Matthew Smidt demonstrated conduct unbecoming of an officer and failed to provide appropriate medical aid to West. Ormerod also was found to have improperly documented the incident in his initial report. He was suspended for 80 hours without pay and Smidt was suspended 40 hours. Their supervisors, Sgts. George Creamer and William Faust, were each suspended 20 hours.

The report said Ormerod spoke to West "in a manner inconsistent of what is required of a TPD employee" when he congratulated West for moving from a misdemeanor to a felony after she kicked him. The report said his incident report also lacked "critical" details. Despite West's numerous statements captured on video about being hurt and screaming about her broken cheek, both officers and sergeants told internal-affairs investigators they did not realize West was injured during the arrest.

In his interview, Ormerod said he "tuned her out" during the incident. West was never assessed for any injuries she may have sustained following the officers' use of force, the report noted.

Ormerod, the city of Tallahassee, Smidt, Creamer and Faust were also named in a federal lawsuit filed by West and her husband in March, claiming TPD violated her constitutional rights when they beat and injured her during the arrest.

Ormerod, who was hired in January 2008, received the Productivity Award in 2010 and his performance evaluations from 2011 to 2013 put him at a Level 4 on a scale of one to five.