FMPD officers accused of falsifying report

New accusations are coming against Fort Myers Police Officers for falsifying a report, and then barely punished.

The citizens review board, which recommends punishments for police misconduct, got an earful for this case.

Johanna Lagrange said she was attacked during her morning run in June 2022.

“The Fort Myers Police Department not only failed me, but they manipulated the police report and allowed my attacker to walk free,” Lagrange said.

Then, Lagrange says she was pushed to the ground by a woman whose car had broken down nearby.

Two officers responded, but court records show it was nearly two months before the suspect was charged with battery. Officers were later disciplined for how they collected information and handled the crime scene.

“I want them to be held accountable for what they did and didn’t do, just like in any job, you need to be held accountable,” Lagrange said.

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Lagrange and her family are not satisfied with the officers’ punishment, which included counseling and retraining. Her son-in-law witnessed the officer’s behavior at the scene and spoke out at Tuesday’s citizen’s review board meeting.

“It’s a joke. It’s a travesty to the men and women that work every single day and get falsely accused of things and get a lot worse punishment from this department,” Lagrange’s son-in-law said.

The citizen’s review board’s job is to approve the officer’s discipline or recommend a mandatory case review. Lagrange felt it was her last chance for her story to be heard.

“Of course, police officers need to be held to a higher standard,” Lagrange said.

After hearing Lagrange’s side of the story, the citizen’s review board voted to postpone a decision. Fort Myers Police said the officer who wrote the report was in training. That officer and the other officer training her were the ones that got disciplined.