State Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles v. Taylor

NESBITT, Judge.

The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (the Department) appeals a Career Service Commission (the Commission) order reducing Highway Patrol Officer Gregg Taylor’s dismissal to a suspension.

On October 27,1982, Officer Taylor, then a two and one-half-year member of the Florida Highway Patrol, stopped to aid another officer, Epps, who had made a traffic stop. A passenger in the vehicle, William Sorrell, was being loud and boisterous and would not return to his seat in the car as directed. Trooper Taylor grabbed Sorrell by the arm and attempted to place him back in the…