Is the City of Orlando obstructing justice by preventing a Pulse building inspection?
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who was part of controversial and now shuttered onePULSE Foundation from the start, refuses to allow a Pulse building inspection even after calls from Pulse survivors, victims, families and advocates. They say Mayor Dyer and the City of Orlando are “corrupt” and that they are “destroying evidence prior to the premise liability lawsuit trial date, which is scheduled for next year.”
There are calls for an independent building inspection before Pulse is bulldozed. That’s why they want a stay put in place to prevent the building from being demolished.
It makes no sense why the City of Orlando government has refused to work with Pulse victims, survivors and families to get an inspection done. What is Buddy Dyer afraid of and why won’t he allow an independent third-party inspection paid for by those requesting it?
“For the past nine years, the City has refused to conduct a building inspection of PULSE and even called off the post-shooting inspection Tammy Hughes was scheduled to perform to document the known code violations inside back in 2016,” victims’ advocate Dr. Zachary Blair wrote city officials earlier this year. “In response, our group—PULSE FAMILIES AND SURVIVORS FOR JUSTICE—will personally fund an independent commercial building inspection by a licensed professional.”
The group said the inspection is not only necessary to ensure the building is structurally and environmentally safe for victims and survivors to enter, which is planned, but it will also formally document the known code violations and unpermitted renovations inside Pulse – issues the City of Orlando has deliberately ignored despite repeated public calls, emails, and documented pleas. Dr. Blair said the city cannot determine whether or not the building is safe without a thorough building inspection, that includes a structural assessment and mold inspection.
“We are asking the City to work with us to schedule this independent inspection before any plans move forward to invite victims and survivors into the building,” Dr. Zachary Blair wrote to city officials in April. “Without an inspection, the City has no legitimate basis to claim that the structure is safe. Proceeding without this due diligence would be both reckless and unacceptable—especially when SWAT made multiple holds in a load bearing wall by ramming it with a bear cat. The continued refusal to inspect the building also constitutes an obstruction of justice, as victims/survivors are still suing PULSE for premise liability, while the City is on track to destroy whatever remaining evidence exists to build its proposed $12M memorial.”
Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City of Orlando will not cooperate in scheduling any inspection, which would cost nothing to the city or taxpayers.
Jorshua N. Hernández-Carrión, a wounded survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, emailed City of Orlando officials when there was no response to Dr. Blair’s request saying: “Can the City please respond to this email? Will you allow us to pay for an independent building inspection by a licensed inspector?”
Days later, an unsigned email from the City of Orlando sent from pulsenews@orlando.gov, responded saying: “While the Pulse building has been unoccupied for several years, there are no structural concerns with the building. We also believe it is safe for small groups to enter for short periods of time for the upcoming site visits. In 2016, after the shooting there was an emergency condemnation on the building, this was done at the time because the building was deemed unfit due to biohazards from the shooting and to ensure the building was properly secured in the aftermath of the tragedy.”
“Just to clarify…. The City has no mold concerns? The building has been inspected by a structural engineer to confirm it is safe? The City BELIEVES it is safe based on what?” the Pulse survivor asked. “Thank you for the clarification. This will help me decide whether or not I feel safe going back inside that building.”
Another unsigned and unattributed email from the City of Orlando responded: “The city does not have concerns about the structural integrity of or microbial growth within the building. We believe it is safe for small groups to enter for short periods of time.”
It is odd that a simple act of professionalism and transparency that is expected from a city government like putting a name on an official response or having a signature was lacking. Did the city not want to disclose who was providing this information?
By preventing a Pulse building inspection, it appears the office of the Mayor is intent on its cover-up.
The City of Orlando and Mayor Buddy Dyer also lied about and hid Pulse photos of a blocked exit door from the public for nine years. The unpermitted Pulse renovations and code violations hindered escape and rescue.
West Orlando News asked Mayor Dyer and Public Information Manager Ashley Papagni several follow up questions, which they refused to answer, including:
1. Four of the “exits” you are claiming this establishment had led out to fenced in areas – an illegal fence. And the shooter went through the other door. The City of Orlando actually believes your statement is accurate?
2. How many buildings have fake exits that do not actually exit a building but lead into fenced areas? With an illegal fence? The City of Orlando actually is stating this is an acceptable action within the city limits??
3. Since you commented on the “number of exits” – how many windows are there supposed to be for an establishment the size of Pulse? The police went through the only window, so if there were “enough” doors as you claimed, why didn’t the police go through the doors?
4. Is the City of Orlando claiming Pulse blocked this door after the inspection? Was Pulse aware of the “inspection” ahead of time so they could adjust the setting of the restaurant? Many people have reported, including on social media, that they saw this door blocked and many other violations long before the terrorist attack. How did the City of Orlando miss the blocked door and the illegal fence and the illegal unpermitted design plans inside?
Mayor Buddy Dyer should be ashamed of how he and his city government handled the aftermath of Pulse. Why does so much of this feel like a Pulse cover-up by Mayor Buddy Dyer and his administration? Transparency and accountability are critical in government.
The fact Mayor Buddy Dyer refuses to allow an independent third-party Pulse building inspection is another example of how the City of Orlando has failed the Pulse victims, survivors and families. They deserve better.
Don’t waist taxpayers $$$$$$$$$$, just put up a brass plaque like the city did years ago when a B-52 crashed off of south Conway.
If the liability lawsuit goes through then all of the evidence of the inspections (or lack of them) in the past that revealed the fencing was too close to the building and there was only one entry and exit would have to be included. Buddy Dyer and all the other corrupt officials in the Orlando government would finally be held accountable for sweeping those inspections under the rug and never making the woman who used to own the building bring it up to proper building code. Which contributed to the amount of deaths that occurred at Pulse.