What to Know
- O'Grady asked a Puerto Rican police officer to accept the Cuban business owner's award "because you're all the same people."
Officials in a central Florida city are apologizing for "insensitive" comments made by the police chief in reference to a Cuban couple at a charity event.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that the owners of a Cuban restaurant that sponsored and catered a golf tournament had an emergency and couldn't attend, so Mount Dora police Chief John O'Grady asked a Puerto Rican police officer to accept their award "because you're all the same people."
O'Grady is on administrative leave while officials investigate comments made April 12 during the Heroes Foundation Gold Tournament.
Attorney Laura Hargrove, who represents Luis and Edna Gonzalez, called the remark "derogatory."
Mount Dora officials said in a statement that O'Grady's remarks aren't reflective of the city's values and can only be characterized as "insensitive and inappropriate."
