Reports say the officer told female employee to "beg" for overtime pay

BRADENTON — Administrators have ordered the suspension of a veteran Bradenton police lieutenant after he harassed a female colleague, according to an internal affairs report released Tuesday.

Lt. Darrell L. Akemon, 44, was ordered by his superiors not to report to work or receive pay for a week after a sergeant, Nicol Scholer, filed a formal complaint in January.

Akemon, the reports say, asked Sgt. Scholer to "beg" for her overtime pay and once said he should "spank" her when they had a disagreement.

He also asked Scholer out and, when she refused, Akemon began to belittle her in front of other officers, once making fun of the type of shoes she wore, the report said.

Over a period of several months, Akemon openly argued with Scholer in her office. One dispute got so heated that administrators could hear the argument in the lobby, and asked Akemon to calm down. Akemon is a patrol supervisor; Scholer, an internal affairs investigator, does not report directly to him.

"I have felt that I was harassed, singled out and ridiculed," Scholer wrote in a statement, "due to my gender by Lt. Darrell Akemon."

A female patrol officer, who believes Akemon has harassed and intimidated her, told police investigators she will not work under Akemon's command unless ordered, according to investigative reports.

Some in the department thought Akemon should have been demoted to patrolman, a move that would have cut the 20-year department veteran's salary in half.

For instance, Maj. William Tokajer, who reviewed the case, thought the harassment was serious enough to merit the demotion. Tokajer said he would have recommended firing Akemon if not for his longtime service at the police department.

"Lt. Akemon displays a clear pattern of continued violations during his career that seem to be related to behavioral issues," Tokajer said in a memo to the police chief. "Clearly, the administration has given Lieutenant Akemon many opportunities to change his behavior, which has been to no avail."

Tokajer's recommendation of demotion, however, was overruled by Chief Michael Radzilowski, who signed off on the lesser suspension this week.

Radzilowski could not be reached on Tuesday, but Mayor Wayne Poston, who serves as police commissioner in Bradenton, said he agreed with the chief's decision.

It was not clear Tuesday when Akemon would serve the suspension, which officials said would cost him about $1,400 of his annual salary of $77,000.