Miami-Dade firefighter arrested in robbery case had charges dropped, court records show
A Miami-Dade firefighter was arrested on accusations of robbery, battery and impersonating a police officer. However, prosecutors later declined to pursue the charges against him, according to court records.
Jason Hibbert was arrested after Miami Beach police said a woman accused him of placing her in a chokehold and taking her jewelry.
According to certified records from the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts, all three charges against Hibbert received "no action" dispositions on Dec. 1, 2014, meaning prosecutors declined to pursue the charges.
Police also accused another man, Matthew Navarro, of punching a second woman in the face during the same incident. As of March 30, 2016, his charges had been dropped and the case expunged, according to court documents.
A third man, Barry Hunter, was also arrested.
Both Hibbert and Navarro allegedly identified themselves as police officers.
Miami Beach police said they later learned Hibbert was a firefighter and Navarro had applied to become a Miami police officer.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue did not respond to a request for comment about Hibbert's arrest.
In a statement, the Miami Fraternal Order of Police said:
"Mr. Navarro is not and has never been an employee of the Miami Police Department. He paid out of his own pocket to attend the police academy (like anyone can) and isn't a sworn police officer. If the allegations are true, we are fully supportive of justice being served."
