A Broward Sheriff's Office deputy accused of beating a homeless man surrendered on criminal charges Tuesday, authorities said.
Mathew E. Eisenberg, 39, ran out of jail after being released Tuesday afternoon. He is charged with official misconduct, battery and falsifying a police report related to the alleged beating of the man in Tamarac last year, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Eisenberg turned himself into the main jail in Fort Lauderdale around 8 a.m., according to the Sun-Sentinel.
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According to the FDLE, the arrest stems from a Nov. 2011 incident in which Eisenberg attempted to arrest a suspect for soliciting money and obstructing a roadway.
Arrest documents written by Eisenberg said the suspect tried to flee, causing Eisenberg to use force, resulting in the suspect's lip being cut, the FDLE said.
The BSO began an investigation after several officers came forward to contradict Eisenberg's account, the FDLE said.
Witnesses said the two exchanged words after the suspect was handcuffed, and Eisenberg leaned into a police cruiser and punched the suspect in the face, the FDLE said.
The witnesses said that when the suspect started spitting blood in the vehicle, Eisenberg opened the door, ripped the suspects shirt and used part of it to clean the blood, the FDLE said.
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Eisenberg's attorney, Alberto Milian, said his client will fight the charges and plead not guilty.
"This is another hack job by BSO internal affairs ... to go after a good cop and get some pre-election publicity for Lamberti," Milian told the Sun-Sentinel. "[Eisenberg] made an arrest of a guy and he did his report and he did his job. He wrote a report and we're sticking by it."
State records showed Eisenberg had been with the BSO since 1994.
“To say that this is an election ploy is totally, totally ludicrous," Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti said. "Since I’ve been sheriff, unfortunately we’ve had to arrest many of our deputies for going beyond that line.”
