MIAMI — If Miami commissioners hoped they had heard the last from former police chief Art Acevedo when they fired him in October, they were wrong.
On Wednesday, Acevedo filed a lawsuit in federal court against the city of Miami, City Manager Art Noriega and Commissioners Joe Carollo, Alex Díaz de la Portilla and Manolo Reyes.
In the court filing, Acevedo claims that the city, manager and three commissioners violated his First Amendment rights and illegally retaliated against him for blowing the whistle on what he describes as a toxic stew of corruption and wrongdoing at City Hall. Acevedo says his firing was retribution for trying to maintain his independence as police chief — a stint that started with national headlines for the well-known law enforcement officer but ended in turmoil after just six months.
