Florida Officers Caught on Tape Framing Motorist

[RogerDodger]

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/20225406/detail.html

On Feb. 16, 23-year-old Alexandra Torrensvilas' car was rear-ended by a police car driven by officer Joel Francisco, Meltzer said.

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.

What makes this even worse is that:

1) The woman apparently was legitimately DUI and will now get off scott free.

2) Every case these officers have ever worked will now be called into question due to their actions.

3) This was, by all accounts, a fairly minor fender bender which I cannot imagine would have resulted in much (if any) disciplinary measures for the officer at fault. Certainly not something worth risking your career over.

Here's a link to the video from the dash cam. WARNING: (Before anyone goes running to a mod.) This is on you tube. There is some foul language in the video. Watch at your own risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrBSYUF5gkQ

[camarozz]

Dont they know they are being taped? I would assume...

How stupid can you be to get it all on tape?

Not trying to justify what they did, but something seems amiss.

[LouC]

Watched this the other day on TV.

Not the first problem with the police in that department.

Idiots.

Glad they were exposed, too bad it didn't happen sooner.

[camarozz]

this will really make it harder on the good cops.

[jimjames418]

this will really make it harder on the good cops.
I do my best not to paint with a broad brush, but actions like these don't help.

[LouC]

this will really make it harder on the good cops.

It always does.

[LouC]

I do my best not to paint with a broad brush, but actions like these don't help.

Good for any person that thinks as you do, sadly way too many don't.

[Pudge]

Police officers are fallible human beings. They make mistakes and sometimes do something immoral and/or illegal. They're not perfect, but the have a lot of power, and should not abuse the trust we place in them.

Thankfully, most of them do not.

The ones who do should be punished.

[sgtmac_46]

I do my best not to paint with a broad brush, but actions like these don't help.

Why is that? Do you make judgments about other groups by what you see one doing? Like it would be wrong of me to assume that all of your posts are as stupid as the ones you make on this topic......when they clearly aren't. You just seem to lose your mind when some clown finds a 'bad cop' story to post, and beginning painting with a gigantic broad brush.

[sgtmac_46]

Police officers are fallible human beings. They make mistakes and sometimes do something immoral and/or illegal. They're not perfect, but the have a lot of power, and should not abuse the trust we place in them.

Thankfully, most of them do not.

The ones who do should be punished.

Agreed......these clowns won't be cops anymore.

As for power.....police and their power are the most...'policed' power in government. There are many people with far greater power who abuse it with impunity. A police officers power is just more 'visible' to the average person, i.e. the power of putting handcuffs on you and carrying a gun.......but it is the low-rung of governmental power, and the MOST open to oversight.

[sgtmac_46]

Good for any person that thinks as you do, sadly way too many don't.

Good to make such assumptions? Find a story here and there scattered among a nation of 300 Million people and over 800,000 police officers, you find a story here and there, and it's 'good' to assume those examples are indicative of the other 799,995 police officers? GIVE ME A BREAK!

The clowns who decided to falsify this report shouldn't be cops......but that speaks nothing about other people who are cops.....period.

[Alaric]

Good to make such assumptions? Find a story here and there scattered among a nation of 300 Million people and over 800,000 police officers, you find a story here and there, and it's 'good' to assume those examples are indicative of the other 799,995 police officers? GIVE ME A BREAK!

The clowns who decided to falsify this report shouldn't be cops......but that speaks nothing about other people who are cops.....period.


While I agree that by and large most cops are really great people, there are the few who give the rest a bad name.

As Pudge pointed out,
Police officers are fallible human beings. They make mistakes and sometimes do something immoral and/or illegal. They're not perfect, but the have a lot of power, and should not abuse the trust we place in them.


they have a lot of power, and when they do immoral things and abuse their power then bad things happen. Left unchecked a small handfull can and will take their abuse of power to the next step.

Free criticism of the police is part of keeping police power in check. When the police criticize the critic back they take a nick out of freedom. Recognize it for what it is and be grateful that you are a part of something that is remarkable in the entire history of the world, even if you have to take a few lumps.

[jimjames418]

Why is that? Do you make judgments about other groups by what you see one doing? Like it would be wrong of me to assume that all of your posts are as stupid as the ones you make on this topic......when they clearly aren't. You just seem to lose your mind when some clown finds a 'bad cop' story to post, and beginning painting with a gigantic broad brush.
Talking about stupid posts, yours seems to be a fine example of such.
Originally Posted by jimjames418 http://forums.hannity.com/firestorm/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?p=58693031#post58693031)
I do my best not to paint with a broad brush, but actions like these don't help.

[OldSchoolConservative]

Could this be construed as a violation of federal law prohibiting local law enforcement from abusing their authority under color of law.

[LouC]

Good to make such assumptions?...

What the hell are you ranting about?

I have not made any assumptions about 799,995 officers based on the behavior of those few mentioned in the OP.

Perhaps before going off on a fellow poster, stopping to take a breath, then asking for a clarification might be the order of the day?

I do believe you have made a really asinine presumption regarding my post.

[RogerDodger]

Dont they know they are being taped?

It does make you wonder. If they will do this knowing the tape is running, what are they doing when there is no tape?:think:

[FidelisAdMortem]

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Arrest her for DWI, take the hit for the car accident. Simple as that.

I cant see anything else but termination for those involved.

If they're lucky, suspension only.

[CaughtInTheMiddle]

lawbreakers are lawbreakers.

if you do the crime...

[Pudge]

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Arrest her for DWI, take the hit for the car accident. Simple as that.

I cant see anything else but termination for those involved.

If they're lucky, suspension only.

Not to open a new barrel of fish, but if an accident is the cops' fault, she shouldn't even be suspected of DUI unless she's visibly intoxicated. Is is standard procedure when an officer gets into an accident where they are at fault to suspect the other driver of being under the influence?

[DLaw911]

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Arrest her for DWI, take the hit for the car accident. Simple as that.

I cant see anything else but termination for those involved.

If they're lucky, suspension only.Too bad she could not be prosecuted for DUI but the officers are now unavailable and would probably take the 5th. She was quite dueced and double the legal limit.

The insulting thing is that her lawyer is contemplating sueing the police agency. As Matt Lauer pointed out, didn't she receive a "get out of jail free" card on this. They did her a favor which she did not deserve.

And what's the worst that would have happened to the officer for rear-ending a parked vehicle? I can assuming NOTHING compared to the loss of a good job and a black mark on your record, as well as the potential of criminal charges.