Brian Hamacher

Miami Beach Police Crime Scene Technician Accused of Mishandling Evidence

A Miami Beach Police crime scene technician has been relieved of duty after officials say he mishandled evidence in nine cases.

Jason Bruder, who has been with the department for 13 years, was relieved of duty with pay on July 15 after supervisors and internal affairs detectives made the discovery, officials said Monday.

"Mr. Bruder’s mishandling of evidence resulted in certain items being stored in a temporary storage locker under his exclusive control - in some cases for many months - rather than being officially checked into the MBPD’s evidence storage facility in accordance with Department procedures," the department said in a release.

Authorities said there's no indication that any evidence is missing or that money or narcotics were involved. Bruder remains under investigation and could face criminal charges, officials said.

"We take our responsibility to handle evidence very seriously. We discovered this problem and are immediately addressing it. We will pursue criminal charges if they are appropriate. We are also reviewing our evidence procedures to determine whether changes are needed," Police Chief Dan Oates said in a statement.

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