SURFSIDE — A South Florida mayor and his police chief are addressing a traffic stop involving former supermodel Gisele Bundchen that’s gained national attention.
Surfside’s Mayor Charles Burkett and Police Chief Henry Doce say it could have been handled differently.
The Surfside Police officer who pulled over Bundchen has drawn criticism for how he responded to the visibly shaken model — and some of that criticism is coming from Burkett.
“While I know he’s a good man, I was just disappointed,” he told CBS News Miami’s Chelsea Jones.
CBS News Miami was told that the officer, who has been on the force for decades, is not facing any disciplinary actions.
However, Doce agrees with Burkett, saying it was a learning experience.
“I understand what the mayor is saying, but I also understand that was a fluid situation where the officer really wasn’t understanding everything,” he said.
“I think we could have been much more empathetic at that moment.”
SURFSIDE — A traffic stop involving former supermodel Gisele Bundchen that has drawn national attention is being discussed by the mayor of South Florida and his police chief.
There could have been a different way to handle it, according to Surfside Police Chief Henry Doce and Mayor Charles Burkett.
Burkett is among those who have criticized the Surfside Police officer who stopped Bundchen for the way he handled the obviously shaken model.
“Even though I know he’s a good man, I was just disappointed,” he said to Chelsea Jones of CBS News Miami. “You don’t go talk to the city next door and tell a scared, weeping woman that there is nothing you can do to help her. No, our residents are protected and served by [the police]. ****.
The long-serving officer is not facing any disciplinary actions, according to information provided to CBS News Miami. Doce concurs with Burkett, stating that it was a teaching moment.
He said, “I know what the mayor is saying, but I also know that was a fluid situation where the officer really wasn’t understanding everything.”. At that point, I believe we had the opportunity to show much more empathy. “.
Doce continued, saying that the officer had spoken to the person Bundchen claimed was pursuing her and had told him to move on. The city of Surfside had never dealt with paparazzi before, so officers are being instructed to be on the lookout for them and have conversations with them.
