A St. Cloud police sergeant is under an internal investigation because investigators said the officer got into an argument, and then a fight, with a repo man while he was off duty Monday night.

“I’m still shocked,” said Auto Repossession Agent Alex Maldonado.

Maldonado said he was trying to repossess a 2011 Chevy Malibu at the Neptune Bay Apartments in St Cloud Monday night, when he was suddenly attacked.

“And he started pulling and I couldn’t get my arm from under the car and I was pleading please, please let go, I’m on the phone with the cops and everything,” recalled Maldonado.

Maldonado said that it wasn’t until after the frantic 911 call that he realized the man who he said attacked him was an off-duty St. Cloud Police Sergeant. 

We are not naming the officer because he has not yet been charged. 

However, according to the incident report, the sergeant told investigators a different story. He said he “continued to oppose the repossession and sat on the engine hood of his vehicle, in an attempt to prevent (redacted) in completing the repossession.” 

The sergeant told investigators that that he and Maldonado “did push one another with their shoulders in an attempt to gain control of the unsecured tow strap.”

“If he would have announced himself and not came at me to attack me, I would have left,” Maldonado continued.

According to the incident report, investigators broke up the altercation by citing a little-known state law.

“If there is a dispute or confrontation regarding a repossession from private property, and the vehicle is still physically located on private property, this constitutes a breach of the peace and the repossesser cannot lawfully take the vehicle.”

The St. Cloud Police Department has forwarded the case to the Orange-Osceola County State Attorney’s Office, who will decide if either men will face battery charges.

“Charges. I want charges on him. I want something done for him to never ever do something like that again because it could be me. It could be somebody else,” Maldonado said.

The state of Florida has an online guide on how to protect yourself during the auto repossession process.