Advertisement

City fires garage security firm after altercation involving armed guard

 
A security guard is accused of shooting at two men in this Ybor City parking garage. [LUIS SANTANA | Times] 
A security guard is accused of shooting at two men in this Ybor City parking garage. [LUIS SANTANA | Times] 
Published July 26, 2016

TAMPA — The city of Tampa is firing a security firm whose guard is accused of shooting at two men in an Ybor City parking garage.

City officials said Monday they will terminate their contract with Iron Eagle Security Inc., which provides armed security at seven city parking garages and surface lots.

The contract, worth about $575,000 and scheduled to run through Sept. 31, will now end July 31. Allied Barton Security Services will take over security at the garages while the city puts a new contract out for bid.

The decision follows the July 10 arrest of Iron Eagle guard Everoy R. Farqharson, 31, on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, battery, tampering with evidence and burglary after an altercation with two men at the Fernando Noriega Jr. Garage on N 13th Street.

Police said Farqharson shoved and tried to punch a man who urinated in the garage. Farqharson then drew his gun and fired at the man and his companion, police said. Later, he collected spent shell casings and the man's phone and put them in his pocket, police said.

"We try to hold to the same standards for private contractors that we would for our own employees," said Ocea Lattimore, the city's director of logistics and asset management. "That was not the level of service we would have accepted for our own employees."

Iron Eagle's standing with the city had already been damaged by the arrest of another Iron Eagle employee earlier in July on charges of grand theft and organized fraud.

Police said Ruben Andino-Cardona, 32, stole about $4,400 from pay kiosks in several city parking garages over a number of weeks.

Officials from Iron Eagle declined to comment except to say that Roosevelt Robinson, the company's president, is traveling and could not be reached.

Farqharson has worked for the company about six months and passed background checks conducted by Iron Eagle and the city of Tampa, Robinson previously told the Times.

It was the first time one of its guards had discharged a firearm in the course of their duty, he said.

Hillsborough County has contracted with Iron Eagle since 2012 to provide security at 16 sites, including the Brandon Service Center and the South Shore Regional Service Center in Ruskin at a cost of $1.9 million.

The city piggy-backed on to that contract last year and contracted to pay $15.25 an hour for each armed guard. Payments to Iron Eagle so far totaled about $275,000, Lattimore said.

Iron Eagle's contract with Hillsborough County expires at the end of September. The county is in the process of soliciting bids for a new contract.

"The County is not aware of any issues involving the company's performance at County facilities under the current contract," said Michelle VanDyke, a county spokeswoman in an email. "Should Iron Eagle submit a bid for the new contract, the County would evaluate the proposal using the same procedures as for any other company, including checking references of other customers."

Keep up with Tampa Bay’s top headlines

Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter

We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning.

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Contact Christopher O'Donnell at codonnell@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3446. Follow @codonnell_Times.