Paul Fluty, a former Miami-Dade police officer fired in May after failing a urine test linked to a domestic violence case, was arrested in Deltona for falsely impersonating a police officer, according to Volusia County deputies.
The incident occurred on September 22, when deputies responded to reports of a man parked in a driveway on Shepherd Avenue, claiming to search for a missing 13-year-old girl. Fluty told a 911 caller the girl’s phone was pinging nearby, but authorities confirmed no official missing person report or call existed.
When contacted by a sheriff’s sergeant, Fluty identified himself as a Miami-Dade officer and claimed to be part of a U.S. Marshals Task Force. He said the girl, last seen in Melbourne a week earlier, frequently ran from police. Fluty provided his phone number and a photo of the girl he was allegedly searching for but later admitted the photo was not of his own daughter.
Volusia deputies’ investigation revealed Fluty was no longer a law enforcement officer and was not affiliated with any federal task force. Miami-Dade police confirmed he was terminated in May following a failed drug test after a domestic violence arrest.
Fluty was driving a vehicle belonging to his girlfriend at the time of his arrest. Authorities have not yet identified the girl in the photo he provided. Fluty was charged with falsely impersonating a police officer and is currently out on bail.
