TAMPA, Fla. — New documents reveal why Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw terminated Assistant Police Chief Ruth Cate last month.
Cate, the highest-ranking Asian American woman to serve in the department, was appointed assistant police chief last year and earned more than $200,000.
WATCH: TPD Chief's memo: Assistant police chief fired over missed meetings, resistance to new firearms
She was placed on administrative leave on March 24th and terminated two days later after a 29-year career with the Tampa Police Department.
"I think there will be developments down the road that can be shared at that time. I have my own opinions of what occurred, but obviously I'm not going to say anything I don’t know to be fact," Tampa Police Benevolent Association President Brandon Baclay, shortly after news of Ruth's termination.
The I-Team obtained an April 15th memo through a public records request from Chief Lee Bercaw stating the decision to terminate Cate was based on a pattern of behavior.
"A pattern of behavior that demonstrated a lack of leadership performance, judgement, communication, and a loss of confidence," Bercaw wrote.
The memo said Cate was not regularly attending weekly district intelligence meetings required for her job and had well over 25,000 unread emails in her inbox.
Discrimination complaint
Cate filed a complaint against the department on March 24th.
"I am submitting this formal complaint to report discrimination based on age, sex, and race, and retaliation related to my assistance and support of a subordinate female sergeant," Cate said.
The City of Tampa Human Resources Department conducted an investigation that included interviews with five department employees.
The report, completed Monday, found no evidence to support the claims.
"Ms. Cate did not provide any evidence of discriminatory or retaliatory behavior, therefore the allegation cannot be corroborated or substantiated," the report said.
Firearm transition dispute
Another issue outlined in the memo involved the department’s transition from the Sig Sauer P320 to the Glock 45 handgun.
Bercaw announced in July 2025 that the department was studying alternative firearm platforms based on recent reports and the perception of safety issues.
The I-Team previously reported how Tampa Police Department Reserve Officer Bob Northrup sued Sig Sauer after he said his service weapon discharged without him pulling the trigger, shattering multiple bones in his leg and ankle.
"Oh, absolutely. And it’s scary," Northrup said when asked if he felt he could have died that night.
Since that time, multiple law enforcement agencies throughout the country have discontinued using that model gun.
Documents show Cate signed off on the purchase of 77 Sig Sauer P320 handguns on June 26 for $62,908.
The handguns were ordered by a training officer.
Bercaw referred to the training officer as her "boyfriend" in his memo.
The purchase came the day after records show that Bercaw appointed Cate as acting chief when he was unavailable.
"There was continued resistance by Ruth Cate and her boyfriend (a training specialist at TPD) after the decision had been finalized," Bercaw wrote in his memo supporting Cate's termination.
That resistance included an attempt to engage legal review in early November 2025 outside established channels, according to the memo.
"Both Ruth Cate and her boyfriend were counseled that same month, and I advised them that these actions were impacting both their employment at the police department," Bercaw said.
"I gave every opportunity to develop Ruth Cate as a leader until it became obvious she had lost both my and the command staff’s confidence," Bercaw wrote.
Tampa Bay 28 left a message on Cate’s cell phone and requested a statement through the Police Benevolent Association, but did not hear back.
Cate previously declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Tampa Bay 28 checked the Hillsborough County court docket on Wednesday and discovered Cate has not yet filed a lawsuit against the department.
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