Four Florida Officers Fabricate Report To Protect Officer

[PapaBear]

This is something else!

Caught On Tape: Florida Officers Falsify Report

Story by justnews.com

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. --

Four veteran Hollywood police officers were placed on administrative leave Wednesday after they allegedly falsified a police report to cover up a crash involving a fellow officer.

"This is the worst case of police misconduct I have ever seen," said Attorney Lawrence Meltzer who represents the victim.

On Feb. 16, 23-year-old Alexandra Torrensvilas' car was rear-ended by a police car driven by officer Joel Francisco, Meltzer said. The incident happened at Sheridan Street and Interstate 95.

The crash was caught on the officer's dashboard camera and on the audiotape Sgt. Dewey Pressley, a 21-year-veteran of the force, is heard allegedly plotting to cover up what happened.

"Well, I don't lie and makes things up ever because it's wrong," Pressley said. "But if I need to bend it a little to protect a cop, I'm gonna."

On tape, Pressley is also heard directing another officer on how to write the report.

"I will write the narrative out for you. I will tell you exactly how to word it so it can get him off the hook. You see the angle of her car? You see the way it's like this? As far as I'm concerned, I am going to word it she is in the left hand lane. We will do a little Walt Disney to protect the cop, because it wouldn't matter because she was drunk anyway," Pressley said.

"It's disgusting the way the officer was so casual and how he manipulated the evidence in this case," Meltzer said. "He could very well face prison time."

Officers Dewey Pressley, Joel Francisco, Andrew Diaz and Community Service Officer Karim Thomas are all being investigated by Internal Affairs.

Meanwhile on Wednesday the Broward State Attorney's Office dropped DUI charges against Torrensvilas and issued the following statement:

"The Broward State Attorney's Office Wednesday dropped DUI and a traffic charge against Alexandra Gabriela Torrensvilas of Hollywood, the driver of the car involved in a collision with a Hollywood police cruiser Feb. 17 on Sheridan Street in Hollywood. The SAO's action comes following review of a videotape shot after the accident that could raise questions about the police account of the traffic mishap."


VIDEO HERE:

http://www.justnews.com/video/20218813/index.html

[AyatollahGondola]

"This is the worst case of police misconduct I have ever seen," said Attorney Lawrence Meltzer who represents the victim.

Hard for me to see any victims here except the people of Florida. The account of the accident seems a little irrelevant to the DUI.

[CHPUSMC]

Hard for me to see any victims here except the people of Florida. The account of the accident seems a little irrelevant to the DUI.

There wouldn't be a problem if the collision report was factually completed. It's the cover-up and "Walt Disney" which is the concerning part of it. It erodes the trust of the community. If the four of them are willing to do it here, where else are they willing to do it?

Sure, she should be guilty of DUI, but they allready dropped those charges so...

[AyatollahGondola]

There wouldn't be a problem if the collision report was factually completed. It's the cover-up and "Walt Disney" which is the concerning part of it. It erodes the trust of the community. If the four of them are willing to do it here, where else are they willing to do it?

Sure, she should be guilty of DUI, but they allready dropped those charges so...
Oh, I understand how easily a defense atty could shoot down the credibility of the arresting officers, but that certainly doesn't place her in the same category as an innocent victim. Gotta wonder at what point an arrest would have been prosecuted here, as in if her car was found with 3 kilo's of heroin or cocaine when the trunk popped open during impact instead of her just stinking of tequila.

[navyvet]

Wow! Police Departments across the country have had a lot of bad publicity lately! First the Gates incident, then an officer running Obama's name through NCIC and now this. Will it ever end....:hitwall:

[gabriel]

Gee, I don't know. Could they possibly block the query within NCIC?

[navyvet]

Gee, I don't know. Could they possibly block the query within NCIC?

I don't know, with the Secret Service I'm sure anything is possible! :think:

[CHPUSMC]

Gee, I don't know. Could they possibly block the query within NCIC?

You shouldn't have too...

[chpbagpiper]

Personal integrity is the only gift beyond price that you give to yourself. No other person can take it from you. It is yours as long as you live true to your principles. However, it is fragile and easily destroyed.
Your actions not only reflect upon you but on all law enforcement. When you investigate a collision, the axiom that must be your and my code is the following: it is what it is. It must be about the physical evidence and determining the truth of what happened. If you mess up, tell the truth and take the hit and move forward a wiser person. All of these officers have risked and possibly lost their jobs over a simple wreck. They might be Brady Listed and can never work in Law Enforcement again. It never makes sense to lie.

[gabriel]

You shouldn't have too...

Agreed, however there are quite a many things people should not have to do but are now required to do because of someone's umm, lets just call it 'ingenuity' or action at a particular point in time.

I realized a while back that unfortunately common sense is subjective. I actually mainly learned that when I moved out here from back east.... :noidea:

[chpbagpiper]

Your point is well put. Common sense is not equally distributed amongst the population. :lol:

[bcjack]

Wow! Police Departments across the country have had a lot of bad publicity lately! First the Gates incident, then an officer running Obama's name through NCIC and now this. Will it ever end....:hitwall:

Did they find the ever elusive Birth Certificate???:think:

[navyvet]

Did they find the ever elusive Birth Certificate???:think:

I heard they did. My thought was, How hard is it for a president to have a "real" birth certificate made?:think:

[CivvieInNY]

What a shame. You're going to lose your career of 21 years and (possibly) be charged criminally for what? A TC where the Deputy was at fault? Big fat hairy deal. It's a simple traffic accident! If he didn't rear-end her, chances are she wouldn't have been collared, so he actually did a good thing. What's the worst that would happen to the Deputy if they found him at fault for the accident? A grounding? A desk job for a month? Stupid stupid stupid. No reason to 'cover up' something like that.

Oh, and to the attorney who said this is the worst case of police misconduct he's ever seen, not too long out of law school are you? If this is the worst case you've seen, consider yourself lucky. You'll learn as you embark on your legal career that hyperbole rarely works in your favor.

[snowdog]

Wow! Police Departments across the country have had a lot of bad publicity lately! First the Gates incident, then an officer running Obama's name through NCIC and now this. Will it ever end....:hitwall:

I don't see the Gates incident as bad publicity for the PD. It was an embarrassment for Obama and Gates. As one radio talk show host said following the beer summit, "that officer is nothing but class". I would have denied the invitation to the white house. It was nothing more than a the dog and pony show to help Obama save face. Aren't there bigger problems he should be worrying about?

[AyatollahGondola]

I would have denied the invitation to the white house. It was nothing more than a the dog and pony show to help Obama save face. Aren't there bigger problems he should be worrying about?
My thoughts exactly.

[7mary3and 4]

Are people that dumb?. Seriously what was the officer at fault looking at, an at fault collision on his record.....Now he and the other officers have put their careers on the line to get out of this mess.... Have fun stacking lumber at LOWES......

[CHPUSMC]

Are people that dumb?. Seriously what was the officer at fault looking at, an at fault collision on his record.....Now he and the other officers have put their careers on the line to get out of this mess.... Have fun stacking lumber at LOWES......

I read somewhere it would have been his 7th since 2001. Re-eval anyone?

[Mac]

Personal integrity is the only gift beyond price that you give to yourself. No other person can take it from you. It is yours as long as you live true to your principles. However, it is fragile and easily destroyed.
Your actions not only reflect upon you but on all law enforcement...

...It never makes sense to lie.
All very well said. I will only add that once you have destroyed your personal integrity, it is virtually impossible to restore it. We are held to a higher standard in regards to honesty and integrity, and for good reason.

[bcjack]

I read somewhere it would have been his 7th since 2001. Re-eval anyone?

Foot Patrol!!!:think:

[chpbagpiper]

I don't think he will have a job after this is over. How stupid can you get.