Police officer investigated for throwing peanuts at a homeless man

Officer Halpin has been placed on administrative leave.

Video shows a man identified as Sarasota Police Officer Andrew Halpin throwing peanuts at 44-year-old Randy Miller, who sat with his mouth gaping trying to lunge for the food.

The video doesn’t contain audio, but a source told the Herald-Tribune that Halpin was giving Miller dog commands during the incident.

Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino said Haldin had been stood down and that an investigation had been launched into the other officers who appear in the video.

The two-and a-half-minute long video was obtained by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune through a public records request.

The intoxicated man is unable to catch the peanuts with his mouth, and he slumps out of his chair and eats the nuts with great difficulty from the booking room floor while the officer watches and then kicks them toward the homeless man so he can better reach them.

DiPino declined to address the officer’s work history.

In the video, several sheriff’s deputies and a Venice Police officer can be seen watching Halpin’s interaction with Miller, but taking no action to stop it. The incident is being investigated by the department’s internal affairs unit.

WFTS reports Miller has been arrested 22 times.

There’s no information on how Miller was treated during his previous arrests.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida called Halpin’s treatment of Miller “humiliating” and is demanding that he be fired, according to WFLA.

“Florida law allows for enhanced penalties when crimes are committed that show prejudice against the homeless”.

But it’s his July 18 arrest that is the source of controversy.

“I placed the defendant under arrest and transported him to the SSO Jail”, Halpin wrote.