Kissimmee’s deputy police chief is under investigation for his actions in an excessive force case that became a department scandal last year.
A grand jury in October revealed the agency’s highest-ranking officials had downplayed and covered up by 2023 beating of a man who was not resisting arrest. That grand jury report forced the police chief to resign and led to the firing or demotion of several other officers.
But Deputy Chief Wilson Muñoz remained on the job as the department’s second-ranking leader, seemingly safe from discipline until Thursday, when the department announced he was on paid administrative leave. He’d been under investigation since June 20.
The internal probe into Muñoz’s actions is “the last step in that investigation” of the excessive force case, said Chief Charles Broadway, who was hired following the ousting of his disgraced predecessor, in a statement. Muñoz served as deputy chief under former Chief Betty Holland and kept that job when Broadway was sworn in April 1.
“While the internal investigation is ongoing, we are limited in what we can disclose. However, once the process is complete, the results will be made available in accordance with applicable laws and policies,” Broadway’s statement read. “We remain focused on strengthening our department, serving with honor and professionalism, and moving forward with purpose.”
Former Officer Andrew Baseggio in April pleaded guilty to felony battery, witness tampering and other charges for brutally beating a man in April 2023. The grand jury that charged him also revealed a subsequent cover-up at the agency, as top brass declined to open a criminal probe into Baseggio’s actions even as body-worn camera video revealed discrepancies with the officer’s version of events.
That report indicated Muñoz was among the officials who declined to dig deeper into what Baseggio had done.
Baseggio was investigated for the beating of 44-year-old Sean Kastner, whom he and other officers encountered while responding to a call about a disturbance at his home on Brack Street. Body-worn camera video showed Baseggio illegally entering the home without a warrant and attacking Kastner by stunning him seven times with a Taser and kneeing him repeatedly in the face. Kastner was then taken to a hospital with lacerations on his face and a nasal bone fracture.
It’s not clear what policies Muñoz now is accused of violating, but the 35-page report by the grand jury found Muñoz, along with Holland and former Deputy Chief Camille Alicea, decided against going after Baseggio criminally, following a discussion during which they reviewed the footage from that night.
The grand jury report also noted that Muñoz, when asked about it, “could not explain the basis for that decision or what factors were considered while it was being made.”
Instead, department leaders handed Baseggio an eight-hour suspension after an internal investigation found his incident report did not accurately describe what happened that night.
“Deputy Chief Munoz could not specify what, if any, crimes were evaluated or what factors the command staff considered when determining a criminal investigation was not necessary,” the grand jury report said. “Munoz vaguely referenced a ‘lack of intent’ on Baseggio’s behalf despite Baseggio’s statements prior to delivering the knee spikes.”
Muñoz also confirmed to the grand jury that KPD did not consult prosecutors with the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office or any other lawyers before making its decision.
It wasn’t until WFTV published the body camera footage that prosecutors were made aware of the incident, at which point then-State Attorney Andrew Bain requested a criminal investigation be opened.
Though Holland initially declined to pursue the case, she relented in January 2024 following a meeting with Bain and high-ranking officials of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Alicea resigned following an unrelated investigation into homophobic remarks she made about a lesbian officer, while Holland was forced to step down as chief ahead of the report’s release.
Following her ouster, Holland was replaced by Orange County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Robert Anzueto as interim chief while his agency investigated KPD. In June, following Broadway’s appointment, he announced three officers, including Baseggio’s girlfriend, were fired, two others were demoted and three received 24-hour suspensions. Just one officer was exonerated related to the probe.
Baseggio faces two years behind bars and will be forced to surrender his law enforcement certification, according to his plea agreement read in Osceola County court on April 25. He is to be sentenced Oct. 13
