Whistleblower cop Rick Flori considering legal action following acquittal for misconduct
WHISTLEBLOWER former police officer Rick Flori says he fears the only thing police have learned is how to cover things up. It comes as he considers a second round of legal action after ‘what they have put me through’.
Crime and Court
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POLICE whistleblower Rick Flori is urging young cops to “make good choices” and is considering further legal action after being cleared yesterday of misconduct.
The former sergeant also had a serve at police hierarchy last night, saying he fears the only thing police have learned from the incident is how to cover something up.
A jury yesterday acquitted Mr Flori in the Southport District Court for trying to get personal advantage by releasing CCTV footage in February 2012 showing police brutality.
The footage showed Senior Constable Benjamin Lamb kneeing and punching Noa Begic as he struggled with four officers.
THE VIDEO THAT SPARKED COP’S SIX YEARS OF HELL
Mr Flori is already suing the State Government and eight police officers, including Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd and the officer who arrested him, Inspector David Winter, for $1.3 million in the Queensland Supreme Court.
He said he would not rule out lodging a second court case.
“I would like to because of what they have put me through, not just me, my family — my wife and kids,” he said.
“They have been with me on that journey and they deserve something for what they put me through.”
Mr Flori said the past six years had impacted planning the basics things in life like holidays and put him under added financial strain.
Mr Flori said until he resigned from the police force in November last year he was constantly moved to different locations and ostracised by colleagues.
Now working as a miner in Western Australia, Mr Flori said he feared about misconduct in the police service.
“What the police do is they learn behaviours to hide the situation,” he said.
“They don’t learn behaviours to correct it.
“(The responsibility) falls to the supervision but it also extends right up to the chain of command.”
Mr Flori said for change to happen within the Queensland Police Service it needed to happen from the top down, right up at the Commissioner level.
He did have one message for the younger and more junior officers.
“I really hope that those going through the ranks these days display some care in their decision making not to do the wrong thing,” he said.
“If they are not willing to risk their career as I have I would really urge them to make good choices.”
Mr Flori’s trial took six years to reach the courtroom and five days to go through the evidence.
The jury spent more than a eight hours deliberating but were unable to come up with an unanimous verdict.
Judge David Kent accepted a majority verdict of 11 to one.
A loyal group of Flori supporters attended the trial every day and some sobbed when the verdict was read out.
“Yes,” one yelled.
Mr Flori sat in the dock with a relieved smile.
Minutes later he left the courthouse, hand raised in victory ready to greet the waiting media.
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