The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is waiting to receive a complaint mailed by the Fort Pierce City Attorney that could have "criminal implications."
The complaint was originally filed with the city by Fort Pierce resident and business owner, Rick Reed.
He claimed the Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney tried to intimidate and harass him.
The city attorney mailed the complaint to the FDLE last week after a Human Resources Manager reviewed the complaint and said it could have criminal implications.
Once FDLE receives the complaint it will review the contents and determine whether it will open a criminal investigation.
Reed told WPTV in September that he attended a meeting at City Hall.
During the meeting, he said he was confronted in the hallway by people he called associates of the chief.
During that incident, he said one of those associates went into the meeting and summoned the chief to come out of the commission chambers.
Reed claimed they were trying to create a situation with him so the chief would have cause to arrest him.
Hobley-Burney said she was doing her job by responding to a citizen complaint.
“The hell has never stopped. It’s continual. Chief Hobley-Burney has been vindictive and she’s relentless in her pursuit of me,” Reed said in September.
Monday, Ed Cunningham, a spokesperson for the Fort Pierce Police Department, released the following statement on behalf of the chief.
“I welcome the investigation by FDLE. The facts are very clear in this case and I have no doubt the true circumstances will speak for themselves. We will not allow this baseless complaint to distract from our mission serving our citizens.”
Reed also filed a complaint last year which resulted in Hobley-Burney being put on a temporary paid leave.
A city spokesperson said there are no plans at this point for Hobley-Burney to be put on leave as a result of this new, possible FDLE investigation.
