Cop Involved in In-Custody Death of Charles Eimers Arrested For Assault
Key West Police Officer Nicholas Galbo, one of the officers involved in the in-custody death of Charles Eimers, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault. Officer Nicholas Galbo, 32, was charged with battery after his live-in girlfriend, Ashlynn Jones, 18, called the police.
Police responded to the call at 10:40 p.m. when Jones called and complained that Galbo had thrown her over his shoulder to the ground and held her pinned during an argument. According to the victim, an argument escalated to the point where she threatened to leave and Galbo tried to stop her. She said she was able to escape the hold he had on her and ran out of the apartment. Jones stated she hid behind some bushes while she watched Galbo circling the area with his vehicle. She contacted a friend who came to pick her up and she called the police from her friend’s house. After taking her report, officers asked Galbo to come to the police department where he gave his statement and was arrested.
Galbo has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the resolution of the criminal case and an internal affairs investigation. Chief Donie Lee told Bill Becker on US 1 radio that if Galbo is convicted of domestic battery he will likely no longer be eligible for employment as a police officer.
Click to read the full police incident report written by Officer Thomas Stutz.
Galbo is the Key West police officer who testified that he had not seen any sand or blood on Charles Eimers’ face even though he’d been standing within inches of Charles Eimers when officers turned him over on Thanksgiving morning 2013. Eimers had died in-custody after an altercation with police on South Beach at the foot of Duval. Galbo was one of over a dozen officers involved in the incident. Galbo’s testimony was contradicted when a bystander video [below] surfaced. The FDLE, State Attorney, and KWPD internal affairs cleared all officers from accusations of criminal wrongdoing despite the fact that one officer had admitted to killing the man while unintentionally recording himself talking about the incident. [“Well, we killed him.”, “Me, I dropped like a f***king bomb on his head.”, It was an “in-custody murder”]
The family of Charles Eimers settled their civil lawsuit for $900,000.
Here is video taken while Key West attorney David Paul Horan deposed Officer Galbo:
Here is the bystander video that attorneys for the Eimers family obtained after Galbo’s deposition:
For all Blue Paper coverage of the in-custody death of Charles Eimers click here.
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I can already predict the outcome of the internal affairs investigation. To begin with I’d be willing to bet that this lying piece of shit is being paid while on administrative leave so he gets a paid vacation out of all of this. Based on past investigations it will be determined that Galbo did nothing wrong because that’s the way things are done here in Bubbaville.
I have no confidence in the judicial system in Key West so I bet Key West Police Officer Nicholas Galbo will not be prosecuted. He was part of the murder and cover-up of Charles Elmers so why wouldn’t these charges be dropped?. No one has the balls to go against the Key West Police Department no matter what they do. Even the state or Feds don’t care what illegal activities they do.
And previously the Calvert case that resulted in his gun being taken away #domestic threats against first wife. #abusive power @ work & domestically mdkhuggins
well well well looks like the fine outstanding perjurer has gone from gang killing to beating up women! gads and he also carries a badge and of all things a gun too!!!! will wonders never cease? naja is that paid or non-paid leave? inquiring minds and all that…bet its paid! but not to worry he will get a job in the code dept or the housing dept or the xyz dept and wear a uniform and have a badge and maybe just maybe a gun too. [all sarc]
seriously though I’ve got to agree with sloan…yes karma has a way of biting the deserving in the patoot.
If Galbo did not admit to touching her and if there were no injuries and no witnesses,Galbo will probably get away with it . If he is tried and convicted ,he will not be able to be a cop ( thank god !) with a DV conviction.He will not be able to carry a gun if he is convicted of DV.
The other interesting piece is that the prosecutors receive VAWA
The cop, Gary Lee Lovette, whose taser recorder caught him admitting they killed Eimers, I don’t recall Lovette said “murdered”, but that’s what it was, was put on 5 days administrative leave for lying about saying their killed Eimers – yes? Then, Lovette was back on the job, as if nothing had happened, yes? And the mayor and city commissioners didn’t even squawk a peep, did they? Meaning, they really like Gary Lee Lovette on their police force, yes?
It remains quite a ways to be seen how the Galbo case will go in the Key West pretend criminal justice system, but, as wankajm reminds, karma is not restricted by an IA investigation, or a State Attorney doing nothing – in fact, karma takes no prisoners, and maybe there will end up being lots of criminal defendants in this case, if the wife’s story is true, who never remotely dreamed there is another court room in which they have no protection.
Article updated above: Lovette had called it, “in-custody murder” and he said they “killed” him.
Do hope he writes plenty of notes for himself as we know he has difficulty in remembering details that matter, but dam good at details such as route he took to Eimers case. LOL he sure was set up and fell for that trap.
Seems they left out a couple of charges. Last time I checked it was illegal to detain someone. Believe it is called kidnapping. Next comes a charge for chasing after her. Will presume with the use of his patrol car while off duty and CARRYING a fire arm most likely. But we all know he will deny having a gun as that changes it to felony.
Now let’s take a look at how KWPD handled this. They go to the victim and take statement. So far perfect. But if this had been anyone other than a fellow cop they would have gone and handcuffed , searched him and gave him a free ride to the station. Also assume released with no bail or bond.
After Jones is threatened with retaliation she will drop charges. Am sure if she presses the charge and testifies that she best leave the island as they will harass her. He will enjoy his paid vacation and all charges dropped.
This did brighten my day to see one of KWPD fine cops being arrested. Sorry to say not the THUG I hoped for.
Takes a paper with guts to print this story.
Please keep us all updated.
jim I see it clear too. yep you got it. she will not press.
talk of a paper..i wonder if the citizen will report this in their daily crime section? 😉
Galbo was handcuffed and transported to the jail. [It’s at the end of the attached report.]
Yes read all of it. Point here is had it been anyone else it would not be call him and ask him to go to the station. It would been a cop banging on the his door and taken in.
How nice to see he likes them real young. Won’t say nothing negative about what she does for a living but surely she can find a better man than him.
Now let me ask something. Can he still be prosecuted without her pressing charges ? He admitted to the assault charges and tried to stop her from leaving. and that is illegal.
He just demonstrated that he is violent and such a person is a danger to the community. He needs charged with felony and fired not resign from KWPD
Another cop that likes them young too. Must be the water.
just read the citizen mullet wrapper version and not a hint of eimers killing and how this pos perjured himself plain and simple.
also it seems he has had earlier ‘experiance’ with domestic thugery with a different 22 year old girl.
what a guy…..a prince of key west…..perhaps a statue at Mallory square will be offered him!
We don’t even bother reading the citizen. It has never even been cost effective as toilet paper. Problem in KW is the voters are scared or just don’t care. This poor girl needed help and thought she found a nice guy to help. She found a piece of shit lying cop that used her for sex. Likely not good at that either. What will it take before he get’s fired ? A death ? Did I misread the report on no weapons ? So was she reaching for a knife or gun or not ? I notice the lack of comment from our fine chief but then what could he say about the type of people he has.
Does KWPD have any honest decent cops ? Are they all this corrupt ?
Let’s get the video of report and get it on U TUBE.
Wow, what’s going on down there? I’m a cop from out of state, and in my job credibility is everything. If I or anyone else on my team, who are trained observers, had perjured themselves during sworn testimony at a deposition we would be done right then and right there. What good is a policeman who will lie under oath? Nothing he said can ever be trusted again.
And did I read right that this man is accused of the battery and unlawful restraint of a domestic partner who is 14 years his junior and still in her teens? I would expect to be put under SERIOUS scrutiny to even be in a relationship like that; where the dynamics are so different. Police officers are held to a higher standard because of the trust bestowed upon us by you, those we are sworn to protect and defend. I’m sickened in my heart when I read such things.
I also notice that according to the police report, the female victim is an 18 year old girl who works in a strip club. This is definitely not a relationship that would be endorsed by most police departments… I’m strictly aghast.
I was thinking of Key West P.D. as a retirement job too. No way I would last long in such an environment.
Smith , it is refreshing to hear that we still have some cops that deserve respect.
This is one of the mild cases of recent illegal activity of the KWPD.
They conducted cavity searches on public streets in view of everyone.
Tased a black man on a bicycle for running a stop sign.
A few years back one of them tased and nearly killed a man named Murphy
Assume you read the dozens of posts on the Eimers murder
Another case was aiming a gun on a young black girl of about 10 or 11
They had a high school cop molest his 10 year old step daughter.
The FBI is investigating the Eimers murder.
Seems the code of ethics of cops in Key West is a bit on the low side.
And while your at it read about the cop using excessive force on a mentally ill person on the 18 mile stretch of US 1.
Also read the one on the DOG LADY where a female cop doing security side work at a pier bar arrested a lady for trespassing on PUBLIC PROPERTY.
Might get rich and publish a book on the KWPD corruption.
The list keeps growing.
TWO Glocks and an AR-15. A knife. And he carries them while on patrol!
Can we presume that he was looking for her in his cruiser? Are there any recorded communications to other officers while he was searching for her?
Galbo must go.
I will assume he used his cruiser
and very likely violated policy if he did not radio dispatch. Can anyone imagine the outcome had he caught her ?
As to him having the weapons I see no issue for any cop not to be properly armed. The problem is we now see that this violent man is a danger to the very same people he is to protect. He has some mental issues that need dealt with fast. The people need to be blasting Chief Lee to fire this man before he kills someone. Sorry to say it but this man needs to find another line of work as he is not fit to be a cop. Tourist need alerted that the danger is the cops.
Naja & Arnaud,
Excellent coverage and brilliantly constructed, per usual.
On a silver platter, Galbo has given the necessary information to place a noose around the necks of ‘all those’ who have allegedly engaged in criminal misconduct; surrounding a plethora of incidents.
A young 18 year old girl, allegedly assaulted by a cop… Mention of a strip club and stripper friends, in need of some favors and desirous of settling some old scores. Drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, prostitution and adultery, along with a bevy of illegal operations that are sometimes coalesced within these types of operations; and what do we have; a toxic brew begging to be doled out to any fool who has upset the apple cart.
All candidates ripe for a criminal investigation. All capable of turning, rolling, telling on; or betraying an accomplice or acquaintance; for any reason whatsoever.
As has been my experience, law-enforcement officers who are criminally cocksure, violent and deluded with the notion that they have a right to harm another; they invariably make mistakes, exceed their capabilities and leave a wake of evidence.
Perhaps a team will be put together, causing this weak and shabbily built house of cards to tumble.
What we might be seeing in the very near future is Key West being forced to close down and ran by Monroe county. Hopefully this will not need to happen and can be prevented. It would destroy what Key West is all about.
See what happened in Waldo FL http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-town-infamous-for-speed-traps-disbanding-police-force/
The people of this country do not need to put up with such conduct.
Anyone that has ever visited KW and walked Duval street must ask how some of what they see goes uncorrected. A whore house that operates and openly advertises services offered. A gay bar that has male strippers dancing in undies on the bar and getting money only 10 feet from the view of anyone walking past it. That includes young kids. I am very open minded and tolerant but that even pushes by limits. For Fantasy Fest I can deal with it as people are warned but this goes on every day of the week.
Very clear that some type of buddy system has been worked out. 18 year old strippers living with cops old enough to be the father surely should violate code of ethics. What else was going on in that apartment ? Underage drinking ? I am not stupid as to what dancers are into. Most are into drugs ,alcohol and prostitution and here we have one living with a cop. WOW what a setup they have in KW.
Will one cop tell on another ? Not in KW. Will a dancer testify on a cop ? Bet she has already been advised of what to do by the bar she works at if she wants to keep her job. Will the case ever get to court ? HELL NO
Sounds to me like you might be a lot happier living in a tamer place than Key West, or even the Florida Keys, the seedy reputations of which go back a very long ways; only some of the tinsel and ornaments have changed over the years.
You are dreaming, if you think Monroe County will take over running Key West, which is a nation unto itself. I have, however, suggested to Key West that it fire its entire police force and invite the Sheriff to provide law enforcement in Key West, just as the Sheriff provides law enforcement in the other municipalities in the Keys, and in the unincorporated areas.
If you want to try to get something hot started in Key West, launch your own campaign for the mayor and city commissioners to resign. In that way, you will learn how many people agree with you – maybe 5 :-), counting me. Do not expect the people who love and voted for the mayor and the city commissioners to join your cause.
Which brings me back to where I started. Key West is notorious, for a very long time, for being a den of iniquity. That’s part of its charm. If that really bothers you, or anyone who lives here, why are you, and they, living here?
Your reading too much into this. I do not by any means object to stripper bars and visit them in when in KW. We enjoy the lifestyle of KW or would not attend. Yes do think children walking with parents past the gay bar and able to view clearly a male in tighty whities is a bit too crude for even Key West. For me and my wife seeing it means nothing as we are nudist. Just don’t think it is something small kids should be seeing in any town. But yes all part of the charm of KW and actually is not illegal by FL law. They are not exposed. Actually we are supporters of creating a legal nude beach in KW. Being nothing stops women from being topless on KW beach or men or women to wear thongs you are so close to being a nude beach that it dam near is one. Carefully read FL law.
800.03 Exposure of sexual organs.—It is unlawful to expose or exhibit one’s sexual organs in public or on the private premises of another, or so near thereto as to be seen from such private premises, in a vulgar or indecent manner, or to be naked in public except in any place provided or set apart for that purpose. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A mother’s breastfeeding of her baby does not under any circumstance violate this section.
Do pay attention to sexual organ part and neither breast or ass is a sexual ORGAN.
Also not ” in a vulgar or indecent manner” Just being nude alone does not violate the law. Not suggesting any walk nude down Duval but as long as not exposing sexual organs if arrested a good lawyer could beat the charge.
Will Monroe county take over KW , hopefully never as it would destroy the charm. But it could happen.
As to the KWPD even that is better to have ran on city level than ran by a county but the only cure is to fire most if not all off its officers. They all have been trained wrong and they have no skill to calm a situation without violence when it can be done.
Eimers clearly surrendered on vidio. No force of any kind was needed. One cop could have easily handcuffed him and took him off to jail. Yes he deserved to be arrested but no need for 13 cops and tasers or death.. The Murphy case never needed the force used. A simple yell of KEY WEST POLICE would have been more than enough. The cops are simply trained to use force first.
Why Lee is still in office I don’t understand. That the mayor has supporters is not hard to understand. Business people need him on their side.
For us we will not be investing any money in KW until we see a major clean up and that could take years,
We very much enjoy Fantasy Fest and join in the fun. We do caution friends not to take kids to it.
I know of no other town that would allow what happens at FF and I do give the KWPD credit in how they handle it. And we enjoy every minute of it. Most of the officers have a nice polite attitude for this event.
My main concern is the recent misuse of the badge and police brutality. We have many friends that are cops and they all tell us they are held to higher standards. Child molesters or cops living with dancers would never be tolerated.
As far as this dancer I just want to see her and slip her a few dollars and have a look at what Galbo will never get again LOL.
For your information that young stripper your talking about is my younger sister.. and i can assure you she doesnt do drugs or prostitution.
So all of you seem to have a lot of stuff to say so i can shed some light. That young girl is my beautiful baby sister. I know exactly what happened and i know my sister. She dropped the charges, but i believe the state is still going to go forward with it. She did not drop the charges bc they harassed her, she decided that she blew the whole thing up bigger than it was and she was not innocent in the ordeal and was physical with him (which she did not tell police) which lead him to restrain her, the way he did i do not agree with, but not something worth sending someone to prison for the rest of his life. And for the judgmental assholes calling her a whore and too young for him.. grow up. They are a beautiful couple and have so much fun together judge all you want. I do not agree with her choice of work but i can assure you shes not into drugs and fucking for money so you can just stfu about all that. I have been fucked over by KWPD myself so im not being blind to the issues in the law enforcement down here but please stop blowing everything out of proportion without knowing facts. Period. Not here to argue with your opinions they are yours to have, but i thought i would let you know some more of the details that so many papers seem to leave out or do not have access to.
Sincerely, Key West Citizen 🙂
sammiejamma, I really don’t care if you think your sister and Galbo are a beautiful couple or not. He is a known liar and it’s totally inappropriate for a 32 year old cop to be dating and living with an 18 year old stripper. Does it matter they she refused to press charges against him? For me, absolutely not because I’m certain that pressure was put on her to do so. I would not put anything beyond the realm of possibilities for Donie Lee and KWPD to do. They have exhibited themselves to not have anything they do or say to be believed.
The fact is 90% of female strippers do use drugs and are prostitutes and also bi. And I am not knocking her if she is bi. And am fine with strippers. This is a business I happen to know a lot about. If she is not part of that 90 % then great and please get your sister out of that place. He is 32 and she can do far better than have him as a BF. He was giving her a place to live likely free and that is an exchange of value for sex. The people are watching this case and the state had best go ahead and bust him. All I want is to see him convicted as a felon and he deserves that. And as a felon guess where he can not work. It does not matter if she refuses to press charges as the state can and should go after him. He tried to stop her from leaving and that is a felony. An 18 year old that looks hot enough to strip does not need a man old enough to be her father. Does KWPD have any code of conduct rules ?