Philadelphia police officers arrested in Florida after incident with deputies, cops say

Two Philadelphia police officers and one retired officer were arrested after getting into a scuffle with a Pinellas County deputy late Tuesday, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called to respond to a domestic battery complaint at Crabby Bill’s Restaurant, 401 Gulf Blvd. in Indian Rocks Beach, around 11 p.m. Tuesday, a news release from the sheriff’s office stated.

A witness at the restaurant told deputies a man pushed a woman and pointed them out. The couple, later identified as husband and wife Paul Seeger and Cindy Caine, could be seen arguing at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and First Street.

Seeger is a retired Philadelphia Police Department officer. His wife, Caine, is currently employed as an officer with the same department, according to the sheriff’s office.

When the deputy tried to walk up to the couple and called out to them, Seeger, 55, and Caine, 44, began walking away and refused to stop after several warnings, according to the sheriff’s office.

The deputy grabbed Seeger’s arm, but he pulled back while Caine pushed the deputy’s arm away, the news release stated.

Seeger broke free.

A third person, identified as Frank Bonett, came up to the deputy, took off his shirt, clenched his fists, started yelling at the deputy and threatened him, according to the release. Bonett is also currently employed as an officer with Philadelphia police.

The deputy told Bonett to stay away but he continued to move toward the deputy, according to the news release.

Seeger, too, turned and walked up the deputy “in a hostile manner,” deputies said, and both were told to stop.

Deputies deployed an electronic control device on Seeger, but it was not effective.

Seeger was taken to the ground by deputies in a “violent struggle” before he was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies who responded to the scene arrested Bonett and Caine.

Caine and Seeger were not cooperative with the investigation, according to deputies, who believe alcohol was a factor in the incident.

Seeger faces one count of domestic battery and one count of resisting an officer with violence.

Caine faces one count of battery on a law enforcement officer.

Bonett faces one count of assault on a law enforcement officer.

All three were taken to the Pinellas County jail

The investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published May 2, 2019 at 9:42 AM.