Cop punches man accused of headbutting him and is relieved of duty, FL cops say

An injured Florida police officer intentionally removed his body-worn camera before exacting retribution on the suspect accused of headbutting him, according to investigators.

Officer Jean Valbrun was “immediately relieved of duty” and has since resigned from the Fort Pierce Police Department, Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney said in an April 8 Facebook post.

The tit-for-tat confrontation between the officer and suspect happened around 2 a.m. Wednesday, March 26, in a Fort Pierce residential neighborhood, officials said. Fort Pierce is about a 120-mile drive southeast from Orlando.

“Officers responded to a disturbance in the 1200 block of Avenue L. The call resulted in the arrest of a subject for violation of the obstruction statute. While the handcuffed subject was being escorted to the police vehicle, he headbutted (Valbrun) in the face causing a laceration to his lip,” Hobley-Burney said in the release.

“Other officers on scene immediately took custody of the subject escorting him to the police vehicle. After the subject was placed in the rear of the police vehicle, Valbrun removed his body worn camera and punched the subject causing facial injury.”

Details of Valbrun’s injuries were not released, and Hobley-Burney did not say when he resigned.

Valbrun has not been charged with a crime, officials said. However, “possible criminal charges” are being investigated by the department’s Internal Affairs division and by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Hobley-Burney said.

“The Fort Pierce Police Department holds its officers to the highest professional and ethical standards. I am extremely proud of the officers that intervened and reported this incident,” she said in the release.

“The actions of this individual are not representative of the dedicated men and women of the Fort Pierce Police Department.”