A Winter Haven man who had previously voiced deep-seated distrust of police discovered himself in the back of a patrol car this month—not as an officer, but as a suspect. On February 11, 2026, a Polk County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant was shopping at a local grocery store when he spotted a man in a black shirt who appeared to be familiar.
According to deputies, the clothing had the term “SHERIFF” in strong lettering and a star identifying the wearer as a member of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
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Recognizing the man’s clothing as regular-issue duty gear, the lieutenant approached him to investigate his credentials. When asked where the garment came from, the man initially stated that a deputy had given it to him during a community outreach program the previous year.
However, the lieutenant remembered meeting the individual just 24 hours earlier. During the previous incident, the individual apparently displayed vocal hatred for law enforcement, even labeling all police personnel as corrupt.
Danny Bermea, Jr., 31, was recognized as the person in question. Bermea’s statement changed after the lieutenant questioned his earlier account.
He ultimately admitted to lying about the community event, claiming he had spotted the garment over a year earlier. He also stated that he had worn the official insignia in public on several additional occasions.
According to investigators, despite his expressed personal views on the police, Bermea was detained by the very agency he had condemned.
He was taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and charged with Unlawful Use of Badges or Other Authority Indicia, a first-degree misdemeanor.
