HIALEAH, FL. — Body camera footage released this week shows a Miami police officer questioning Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo after he switched on emergency police lights during a traffic stop, an incident that has raised new questions about his use of a city-owned vehicle.
Traffic Stop Turns Tense
According to Miami Police records, Officer Yasmani Gonzalez pulled Calvo over on June 14 at around 11:09 a.m. on Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove after the mayor made a left turn from a lane marked for right turns only.
Officials say Calvo then activated red and blue lights mounted on the rear of the black Chevrolet he was driving, a vehicle later confirmed to belong to the Hialeah Police Department.
In the video, Gonzalez can be heard asking whether the car was a police vehicle. Calvo initially says yes before clarifying that he is an elected official and offering his identification.
The officer presses further, telling Calvo that switching on the lights during a stop amounted to a serious violation. Gonzalez warns him that the act could be treated as a criminal offense and even mentions the possibility of a third-degree felony under Florida law, since Calvo is not a sworn officer.
Calvo tells the officer he turned on the lights because he believed something else might be happening on the road. Gonzalez does not appear convinced, noting that in Miami, officials who use vehicles equipped with police equipment typically travel with a sworn officer present. After stepping away to review the mayor’s documents and taking a lengthy phone call, Gonzalez returns and issues two citations, one for the improper turn and one for the unauthorized lights.
Mayor Responds, Case Still Pending
Court records in Miami-Dade show Calvo pleaded not guilty to both citations, which together carry roughly $300 in fines. A pretrial hearing has not yet been scheduled. Through a spokesperson, Calvo said one ticket involved a driving maneuver while the other concerned equipment on a police-registered vehicle that had been modified before he took office and before it was assigned to him for his duties as mayor.
The mayor has not issued further public comment since the footage became public. Legal experts who reviewed the encounter say the situation could raise ethical questions about elected officials using specially equipped municipal vehicles, though the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust has declined to weigh in so far.
The Hialeah Police Department has not clarified whether providing a mayor with a fully equipped patrol vehicle is standard practice, and it remains unclear whether Calvo is still driving the same car involved in the stop. The traffic case remains open in Miami-Dade court as both sides await further proceedings.
