Florida Mayor Charles Burkett blasts cop for treating 'scared' Gisele Bündchen during traffic stop

US News

by Nicholas McIntyre

A Florida mayor has summoned the police officer who stopped a distressed Gisele Bündchen for approaching her while the model complained of being followed by paparazzi.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said Wednesday's interaction between the unidentified officer and Bündchen was “completely unacceptable” and did not reflect what residents expect from police as the officer displayed a “dismissive attitude.”

“I was horrified yesterday when I watched a video interaction of one of our residents speaking to one of our police officers,” Burkett wrote in a letter. Acquired by WPLG, To Interim Surfside Police Chief Henry Doss.

“When one watches the video, it becomes clear very early on that the resident is upset and frightened. “The frightened resident told the Surfside officer she thought she was being followed by a stalker and she was scared.”

Bodycam footage showed the officer ignoring the mother of two's safety concerns and referring her to the Miami Beach Police Department.

Bündchen, 43, told the officer she was “just trying to stay away from that guy,” referring to the suspected photographer, before she was stopped.

“There's nothing I can do about it,” the officer said before asking her to “report to Miami Beach.”

The officer let Bündchen out with a “courtesy” before she made her horrifying confession.

“I'm very tired,” said an emotional Bündchen. “Everywhere I go, I find these men following me. Nothing protects me. I can’t do anything. I just want to live my life.”

The policeman told her: “I can’t prevent them from doing their job, which is taking pictures,” and she replied: “I don’t know how this is allowed.”

The frustrated mayor reminded the department of their primary duties and were not photographed in the roadside interaction.

“This response is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the values, judgment and service residents expect from their police,” Burkett wrote. “On the contrary, the primary mission of our Police Department is to keep our residents safe!”

“A dismissive attitude towards a resident who is clearly in distress is everything we do not want to see in the way our police interact and serve our residents.”

The unidentified policeman, who admitted to identifying Bündchen, said there was nothing he could do to stop the photographers.

Burkett said the interaction with Bündchen reminded him of a meeting with the city's police union president, Tammy Campbell, who encouraged him to attend a meeting in which she attacked local politicians for asking the department to “intensify patrols and outreach to residents.”

“What I saw in this video and the actions of the Surfside union president at our last meeting indicate that the previous leadership staff and the union leadership have lost their mission,” Burkett said. “We are all counting on you to refocus the core mission of our Police Department on serving our residents.”

Doss acknowledged that the officer should have conducted the stop differently after seeing Bündchen in distress, but insisted that the officer was a good man.

“I would have liked to have seen more compassion in the initial communication of what was happening,” the police chief told Local 10 News.

“A lot of people I talk to at Surfside say this officer is a great officer, 'He's exceptional.'

“Could we have done better? I think it's a learning opportunity to understand the dynamics of this situation.”

It is not clear whether Bündchen has filed a report with authorities.

Surfside Police He told Page Six that Bündchen has been suspended Traffic violation.