Former Doral police deputy chief says he was axed without explanation

MIAMI - A major shakeup in the Doral police force, less than three weeks after the city welcomed a new city manager.

Earlier this month, the City of Doral voted to hire Rey Valdes as the new city manager.

Valdes wrote to us Thursday morning that he'd been working full-time for eight days. During this time, he decided to axe the second-highest-ranking police officer in the city without providing the officer or us with an explanation.

"It's emotional," said now-ex-Deputy Chief of Police Manuel Arrebola. "You would expect some due process as a veteran police officer."

Arrebola says he was forced out less than a year at that position. The 60-year-old said he was getting ready to head home on Monday afternoon when Police Chief Edwin Lopez called him.

"He calls me and says, 'You're not going to believe this,'" said Arrebola. "We meet, and he explains to me what just occurred. He wants you to resign now. They came Monday afternoon and picked up the stuff at the house."

"When I went to send an email, my email was cut off," added Arrebola.

CBS News Miami reporter Joe Gorchow asked Arrebola, "Has anyone called to explain why they made this decision, to say, hey, you better resign?"

Arrebola: "Absolutely not."

Gorchow went to the Doral Government Center on Wednesday, looking to speak with Valdes and was told he was not there. However, 10 minutes later, CBS News Miami saw him walking to his car.

Gorchow asked him, "Can I get clarification as to why you asked Arrebola to resign?"

"I don't discuss personnel issues," responded Valdes. "Those are internal decisions I made as a manager. I don't discuss them."

Valdes confirmed in an email that he called Chief Lopez to ask Arrebola to resign.

CBS News Miami then asked Doral Mayor Christi Fraga if she was aware of the decision before Arrebola resigned. We learned she was caught off guard.

Fraga was asked, " You had no clue the city manager was stepping in to ask the Deputy Police chief to resign on Monday?"

"No, he called me and said that he would be asking for the resignation of the deputy chief," she said.

"With no explanation as to why?" Gorchow asked.

"No, he said something about a case that was closed out 30 years ago in the deputy chief's history. A lot of decisions are made with politics in mind," Fraga responded.

Valdes, in writing, said no one directed him to dismiss Arrebola.

Gorchow to Valdes: "Was it because of a case 30 years ago?

Valdes: "I don't discuss personnel issues, Joe."

"Everything that happened in Opa-Locka 37 years ago was disclosed," shared Arrebola. "There's an entire document in my file.

"On that case, where another officer uses excessive use of force, and I would have to testify in that case, the officer gets arrested for a totally separate incident and pleads guilty to both cases. So, there's never a trial."

We have asked Opa-Locka Police and the State Attorney's Office for details on the excessive force incident. We have yet to receive the file.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement sent us his global profile, showing us he's worked for four different departments in 38 years. He was terminated from Opa-Locka for no cause in 1989. He was rehired in 1992, before being let go a year later. Arrebola's longest stint was with Miami-Dade Public Schools for 27 years, meeting former presidents of the United States along the way.

Valdes, in an email, said, "The Police Department's leadership is not under investigation. There are no planned changes  to the command staff."

But why Valdes decided to force Arrebola out remains unclear.