FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sean Lozano, Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback’s running mate, is under criminal investigation by Broward County prosecutors over his conduct during a 2025 encounter while serving as a Lauderhill police officer.
The Broward County State Attorney’s Office confirmed that its Public Corruption Unit is reviewing findings referred by the Lauderhill Police Department stemming from a March 7, 2025, incident at a city bus terminal.
“Yes, the Lauderhill Police Department referred its internal affairs unit’s investigation findings regarding the 2025 bus terminal incident to our Public Corruption Unit for review. That review by prosecutors is ongoing,” Aaron Savitski, a spokesperson for the State Attorney’s Office, told WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau.
The investigation adds a new complication for Fishback’s campaign less than two weeks before Florida’s Aug. 18 Republican gubernatorial primary.
Fishback selected former South Florida police officer Sean Lozano as his running mate in June, presenting the ticket as one focused heavily on law enforcement and public safety.
At the time, Fishback described Lozano as someone who understood the challenges facing police officers and Florida communities, while Lozano pledged to support policies aimed at strengthening public safety and backing first responders.
Internal investigation questioned Lozano’s account
The underlying incident involved an elderly woman who was reportedly experiencing a mental health episode and sitting in a bus lane, preventing traffic from moving.
According to Lauderhill Police Department internal-affairs records, investigators concluded that Lozano pushed the woman to the ground during the encounter.
Investigators also identified discrepancies between Lozano’s subsequent account of the incident and surveillance footage.
Lozano reported that the woman struck him in the chest before losing her balance and falling forward while being handcuffed. But investigators said surveillance footage did not support that version of events.
According to the internal-affairs report, Lozano was also recorded telling other officers that he had “threw” the woman to the ground.
“These discrepancies are significant and cannot be attributed to a minor memory lapse, as the force was a central event of the encounter,” an internal investigator wrote.
The investigation sustained multiple policy violations, including findings involving honesty and truthfulness, professional conduct, body-worn camera requirements and use-of-force reporting.
The department also concluded that the level of force used during the encounter was inconsistent with the circumstances, citing the woman’s age, demeanor and lack of a clear imminent threat.
The criminal review remains ongoing. Lozano has not been charged with a crime in connection with the incident, and an investigation does not constitute a finding of criminal wrongdoing.
Fishback campaign defends Lozano
Fishback selected Lozano as his candidate for lieutenant governor in late June, emphasizing the former officer’s law-enforcement background.
The ticket has made support for police and a tough-on-crime platform a prominent part of its campaign.
“We need to get behind the men and women who wear the badge, instead of treating them like they’re the problem,” Lozano said when Fishback announced him as his running mate.
After news of the criminal investigation emerged, Fishback’s campaign defended Lozano.
The campaign said Lozano remains certified as a law-enforcement officer in Florida and noted that he received recognition from the Lauderhill Police Department after the incident now being reviewed.
“Any attempt to mischaracterize his lawful use of force as ‘criminal’ is false, disgraceful, and insulting to every cop and corrections officer in Florida,” the campaign said in a statement provided to WLRN. “I refuse to let anyone smear the men and women who keep us safe.”
Lozano was fired from Lauderhill Police
The investigation follows previous scrutiny of Lozano’s departure from the Lauderhill Police Department.
Employment records obtained by multiple Florida news organizations show the city terminated Lozano in December 2025 after a fitness-for-duty evaluation determined he was “permanently unfit for duty.”
Lozano had worked for the department for approximately three years.
Fishback nevertheless described Lozano as a “decorated law enforcement officer” when announcing him as his running mate in June.
The former officer’s record attracted additional attention after Spectrum Bay News 9 reported on posts made from an X account bearing Lozano’s name and photograph that contained racist and derogatory statements.
Lozano denied writing the posts and said his brother created and operated the account.
Investigation comes during final stretch of GOP primary
Fishback is competing for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the Aug. 18 primary.
The Broward County native has sought to distinguish himself in the race through proposals on property taxes, affordability, crime and other issues while presenting himself as an alternative to the Republican establishment.
The criminal investigation involving his running mate now arrives as Republican voters are casting ballots during the final stretch of the primary campaign.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office has not announced when its review of the Lauderhill referral will be completed.
The Florida Pundit will update this story as additional records or information about the investigation become available.
