A sergeant and officer with the Boynton Beach Police Department were disciplined over a traffic stop last year that led to an arrest. The incident occurred on September 21, 2025, when Officer Shane Shepard made a traffic stop after observing a vehicle conducting a “drifting” U-turn at 300 North Congress Avenue.

Details of the Incident

The vehicle came to a stop at a gas station at 290 North Congress Avenue, where Sgt. Evan Esteves and Officer Shaun James also responded to the incident. The driver was told by Shepard that he would receive a traffic citation for drifting, but Shepard returned to his patrol vehicle without requesting the driver’s license, insurance, or vehicle proof of registration.

Esteves then engaged the driver and asked if he had given Shepard his driver’s license. Shepard returned to the driver’s vehicle and, along with Esteves, requested the driver’s license. The driver produced three citations he had been given by James as proof of his identification, which had been verified by James during a previous traffic stop.

Despite this, Esteves and Shepard informed the driver that if he did not provide a driver’s license, he would be subject to arrest. Esteves began the process to arrest the driver, but the report notes that this decision was flawed and that Esteves and Shepard relied on commands instead of department de-escalation techniques to calm the situation.

The situation escalated, with Esteves attempting to remove the driver from the vehicle and the driver putting the vehicle in reverse, colliding with Shepard’s patrol vehicle. Esteves then drew his firearm and yelled orders for the driver to get out of the vehicle, before transitioning to his Taser and discharging it twice, leading to the driver’s arrest.

Disciplinary Action

The report found that Esteves and Shepard had violated department policy in their response to the driver’s resistance and that their actions were unsatisfactory. It was recommended that Esteves be demoted from his position as sergeant and that Shepard receive a one-day suspension without pay. James, who had responded to the incident, was commended for his exemplary communication skills during the initial traffic stop.

Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.