CASE: 16-09-01 - LIEUTENANT LOUIS J. BERMANmedia.local10.com/document_dev/2017/03/01/Louis J. Berman sworn... · 16-09-01 - LIEUTENANT LOUIS J. BERMAN Page No. 3 love to hear it

CASE: 16-09-01 - LIEUTENANT LOUIS J. BERMAN OFFENSE: DATE: 09/16/16 TIME: 3:03 P.M.

(The following may contain unintelligible or misunderstood words due to the recording quality.)

Q. This is a statement taken from Lieutenant Lewis Berman at Sunrise Police

Headquarters; today, September 15, 2016 at 3:03 p.m. by Lieutenant Bill

Glennon who is a member of the Sunrise Police Department, also present is

Deputy Chief Gerald Eddy. I, Lieutenant Bill Glennon, am a duly certified law

enforcement officer in the Stpte of Florida and as such I'm empowered to

administer oaths. Please raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that the

statement you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the

truth, so help you God?

A. Ida.

Q. Do you understand that giving false testimony under oath is a crime?

A. I do.

Q. Please state your full name and business address.

A. Louis Berman. 1040 West Oakland Park Boulevard, Sunrise, Florida, 33351.

Q. Okay. I'm now gonna turn the questioning over to Deputy Chief Gerald Eddy.

EDDY: Lieutenant Berman, did you attend the employee appreciation dinner on

August -- August 26th?

A. I did.

American High-Tech Transcription and Reporting, Inc.

16-09-01 - LIEUTENANT LOUIS J. BERMAN Page No. 2

EDDY: Okay. And while you were at the dinner did you have occasion to see or

interact with Sergeant Roger Krege?

A. Yes.

EDDY: Okay. Was that throughout the night?

A. Urn, no. It was at the end of the night.

EDDY: The end of the night?

A. I had seen him earlier.

EDDY: And could you describe what transpired when you interacted with him?

A. Urn, I -- I could see that he was intoxicated. That -- I was told that, uh, he might

need help getting home. So I went up to him and I told him, "Hey, looks, you

know -- looks like we're in the same boat. Let's make sure we get each other

home." I said that because, you know --just so there's no arguing. And by the --

you know, I was -- my plan was to, hey, get him in the car, and I'll say I'll take first

shift, I'm gonna drive you home.

EDDY: Okay.

A. 'Cause I -- I did that because I thought he lived in -- close to me. We had -- I said

that --

EDDY: And then what he -- how'd he respond to that?

A. He wasn't very happy. He told me to "F off." And I said I -- you know, he was

slurring; he was drunk. Urn, but obviously I don't wanna see anybody get hurt. I

said, uh -- you know, I just shrugged it off. And, uh, I said, "Come on. I'll -- I'll get

you home and everything will be all right." And he said, uh, that he didn't trust

me. And, uh -- and guys on the road didn't trust me. And I said, "You know, I'd



love to hear it. Give me some examples." And he said something about past

investigations that guys on the road -- he didn't trust me and guys on the road

didn't trust me.

So I took it on -- took what he said and my first thought was -- 'cause he's

the, uh, FOP rep, that we've kind of worked together on cases -- not worked

together but -- you know, he's involved when officers get investigated, when I've

done several of them. So I'm thinking, all right, this guy and the guys on the road

don't trust me when I do an investigation.

EDDY: Okay.

A. It bothered me, urn, but the guy was drunk. So he said some -- we went back

and forth a little bit and, uh, he said something about my brother, Matt, who he's

known; they have a mutual friend from the Army Reserve from 20 years ago.

EDDY: Okay.

A. I didn't understand what he said. Urn, but again, the guy was drunk. He was

being, uh, you know, an ass. Urn, I don't -- he said a few more things. And I said

you know what? I'm the wrong guy to get this guy home because obviously the

things he said he's had in his heart for years. You know? Because it's been

years I been doing this.

EDDY: And this is in relation to several occasions that you've had to do criminal

investigations on police officers in this agency?

A. That's how I took it 'cause he said past cases and -- and guys on the road don't

trust me. And, urn -- so I said, okay, let me bail out of here because I'm the last

guy -- if he doesn't like me I'm the last guy gonna be able to get him in a car


. 16-09-01 - LIEUTENANT LOUIS J. BERMAN Page No. 4

home. So, urn, I go to leave and -- and the mayor stops me and goes, "Hey, urn,

do me a favor, you gotta make sure Roger gets home." And I said to the mayor,

"Urn, not -- I'm the wrong guy because he -- what he just said to me, you know,

I'm the wrong guy to do it."

EDDY: Okay.

A. Unfortunately, I see Will Gordon and I say, "Hey, Will, go see the mayor." And,

uh, I see Will go walking over to the mayor. And I'm -- I'm out of there; I leave.

On my way home Will calls me and goes, "Hey, we can't get this guy in the car,

urn, and we don't even know where he lives." I said, "I do." And -- even he said,

you know, the things to me I -- I, you know -- forget it. I know the area where he

lives; I don't know the exact house. I'm driving up the block off of Sunset Strip --

EDDY: Okay.

A. -- looking for his, uh -- his police vehicle. Because at least I'll give them the

address, they'll get him home and they'll get him inside the door. I couldn't find it.

Well, uh, I'm not sure if I called him -- Will back or Will called me and I said, "I

can't find this." And he said, "No. Someone just said he lives with Steve Allen." I

called Steve Allen. And Steve said, "Hey, uh" I said, "Do me a favor, go to

Signature Grand and pick this guy up because we're having a hard time with

him." And Steve said he's already on his way.

I don't know who called him first, but I said, "Do me a favor, urn, when

Roger wakes up tomorrow tell him he was an ass to me." And, you know, that

was it. So that was it for that night. I went home. I went to bed. I didn't hear

anything else. Oh, I think -- did Will call me? Will called me and said, everything -



- no, I'm sorry. Steve Allen called me and said, "Everything's okay." He -- he

must've got him home. Urn, and that was it for that day.

EDDY: Okay. Then did you have occasion to have contact with him again after

that?

A. He called several times on Saturday. I didn't really feel like talking to him and

then Sunday again. I'm not sure what day but it was, you know, a few days after

that, maybe Monday or Tuesday --

EDDY: Okay.

A. m, you know, he -- he had called. I -- I heard he was apologizing to people.

Urn, I saw him at breakfast one time in person and I didn't want to talk to him so I

-- I walked right by him. And then during the day I said -- you know what? I don't

wanna live like this. So I called him. And he wanted to talk to me. He wasn't in

the building but he wanted, you -- you know, he wanted to talk to me.

He apologized. Urn, he said he didn't remember -- he didn't remember

anything I said, um -- or what -- anything he said. And he wanted to know what

he said. I told him exactly what I told you. And he said, "Dude, Lou, I love you. I

don't think like that. I've never felt like that. I hope you accept my apology and

guys don't feel like that on the road. I just -- I -- I just -- I'm having a hard time. He

was -- he was -- I was drunk and just being stupid."

EDDY: But that night while you were speaking with him he was aware of who

you are and what your position in the police department was and?

A. I don't know about position but he knew who I was 'cause he mentioned my

brother's name.



EDDY: Okay. And he obviously knew what you did because he made reference

to, um, investigations -- past investigations?

A. Yeah.

EDDY: So he knew how had interacted with you in the past professionally?

A. Yes.

EDDY: Okay. When you were having those discussions with him or that

discussion, urn, did you notice anything odd about his demeanor besides the

intoxication?

A. No. I took it as just drinking.

EDDY: Okay. Urn, did you see him have any contact with anybody else during

the night in an inappropriate manner, specifically any female attendees?

A. No. I mean, I saw him during the night, but I saw a lot of people.

EDDY: Do you know --

A.

EDDY: -- who Carla Gomez is?

A. I just met her recently.

EDDY: Okay. So you know she's the H.R. Director?

A. Yes.

EDDY: Okay. You know what she looks like? You just met her?

A. Yes.

EDDY: Urn, did you see her there that night?

A. I think I did and I said, hi, to her.

EDDY: Did you see any interactions between she and Sergeant Krege?



A. No.

EDDY: Okay. Bill, do you have anything else?

Q. What about interaction with the crime scene tech, Sevie?

A. No.

Q. No?

A. No.

Q. Okay.

A. That was after I left.

EDDY: Is there anything you'd like to add?

Q. Nope.

EDDY: Okay. I'm good.

Q. Okay. Is there anything else that you would like to add to the statement?

A. He said he was sorry. I forgive the guy. That's it.

Q. All right.

Q. Has everything you said been true and correct to the best of your knowledge?

A. Yes.

Q. Have any threats or promises been made to you by me or anyone else for your

statement?

A No.

Q. Did you give your statement on your own free will?

A. I did.

Q. This concludes the statement taken from Lieutenant Louis Berman, today,

September 15, 2016 at 3:10 p.m.



(CONCLUSION OF INTERVIEW)

4

Transcribed by: Idc/Idcialw


Witness

Signed

SUNRISE POLICE DEPARTMENT John E. Brooks

Chief of Police

10440 W. Oakland Park Blvd Sunrise, Florida 33351

(954) 746-3600

Florida State Statute 112.532(3) CIVIL SUITS BROUGHT BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS OR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS.

Every law enforcement officer or correctional officer shall have the right to bring civil suit against any person, group of person, or organization or corporation, or the head of such organization of corporation, for damages, either pecuniary or otherwise suffered during the performance of the officer's official duties or for abridgement of the officer's civil rights arising out of the officer's performance of official duties.

Florida State Statute 112.533 (4) DISCLOSURE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINTS

*Sunrise Police Employees are also prohibited from Disclosure of Internal Affairs Complaints per Departmental Policy 33.6.5.3

Any person who is a participant in an internal investigation, including the complainant, the subjectof the investigation, the investigator conducting the investigation, and any witnesses in the investigation, who willfully discloses any information obtained pursuant to the agency's investigation, including but not limited to the identity of the officer under investigation, the nature of the questions asked, information revealed, or documents furnished in connection with a confidential internal investigation of any agency, before such complaint document, action or proceeding becomes a public record as provided in this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s 775.082 or s 775.083.

Florida State Statute 775.082 (40) (a) PENALTIES

For a misdemeanor of the first degree, by a definite term imprisonment not exceeding 1 year.

Florida State Statue 775.083. (1) (d) FINES

$1,000 when the conviction is of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Florida State Statute 837.02 PERJURY IN AN OFFICIAL PROCEEDING

1. Except as provided in subsection (2), whoever makes a false statement, which he or she does not believe to be true, under oath in an official proceeding, in regard to any material matter, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s 775.082, 775.083 or 775.084.

2. Knowledge of the materiality of the statement is not an element of this crime, and the defendant's mistaken belief that his or her statement was not material is not a defense.

I ave read and received an additional copy of F.S.S. 112.532 (3) and F.S.S. 112.533 (4)

g) )14 )1(40 Date

Date

SPD/ADMIN: Effective 1-1-00, Revised 06-13-12

Documents

CASE: 16-09-01 - LIEUTENANT LOUIS J. BERMANmedia.local10.com/document_dev/2017/03/01/Louis J. Berman sworn... · 16-09-01 - LIEUTENANT LOUIS J. BERMAN Page No. 3 love to hear it