Florida Cop Tries To Cover Up Crash That Was His Fault

After a Hollywood police officer rear-ended a car in February and then arrested the driver on drunken driving charges, he and other officers talked about doctoring the report--it said a jumpy cat created a distraction--to cover up the crash.

The exchange was recorded by a dashboard camera in one of the patrol cars. The officers apparently didn't realize it was on.

"I don't want to make things up ever, because it's wrong, but if I need to bend it a little bit to protect a cop, I'm gonna," one of the officers can be heard saying.

"We'll do a little Walt Disney to protect the cop because it wouldn't have mattered because she is drunk anyway."

Alexandra Gabriela Torrensvilas, 23, of Hollywood, ended up charged with four counts of drunken driving and cited for improper lane change.

On Tuesday, Hollywood police officials placed Officer Dewey Pressley, 42, Officer Joel Francisco, 36, Sgt. Andrew Diaz, 39; and civilian Community Service Officer Karim Thomas, age unavailable; on administrative duty pending an internal affairs investigation and a review by the Broward State Attorney's Office, said spokesman Lt. Scott Pardon.

Francisco was driving the car in the crash; Pressley wrote the report and made the arrest.

Pressley's report detailing the Feb. 17 midnight crash in the 2800 block of Sheridan Street said "a large gray stray cat" that had been sitting on Torrensvila's lap jumped out of her car window and distracted her, causing her to veer into Francisco's lane, where she abruptly braked, and he hit her.

"I will do the narrative for you," one of the officers says on the tape. "I know how I am going to word this, the cat gets him off the hook."

Torrensvilas' attorney, Larry Meltzer, said this is a disturbing "abuse of power."

"Actually seeing it transpire on video in front of you, it really kind of sickens you," he said.

"It's really nauseating to sit there and watch your client's rights go out the window."

Torrensvilas' four DUI charges carry a maximum penalty of nearly three years in jail, Meltzer said.

He declined to say what will become of her case: "In my opinion, as of this time, it's being handled appropriately."

A spokesman for the Broward State Attorney's Office declined to comment on the case or how it will proceed.

Pressley, a 21-year veteran with the agency, wrote that when Francisco approached Torrensvilas' car after the crash, she blurted: "It just jumped out."

The "it" was "a large, gray stray cat" that had been sitting on her lap while she drove, the report said.

Francisco, who has been with the agency for nearly 11 years, smelled "a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage."

Public Defender Howard Finkelstein on Tuesday sent a letter to Hollywood Police Chief Chadwick Wagner calling for answers and accountability.

"Not only did these officers make a conscious decision to shift the blame to this young woman, but they made a concerted effort to write a narrative to fit 'their facts,' " Finkelstein wrote.

He said his office has at least 27 pending cases in which these four officers are listed as material state witnesses.

Pardon, the police department's spokesman, declined to respond to the allegations. "We'll see where the investigation goes," he said.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Police
• Cops
• Corruption
• Lies
• Police State
• Dash Cam
• Florida Police
• Drunk Driving
• Cover Up
• Manufactured Evidence

[crispycritterz]

It's been 2 years. Any results? They tend to ignore these things and hope that they go away.... if you let them.

[exacerbatedtaboo]

@crispycritterz Not to my knowledge. Cops get away with this kind of shit all the time. Only reason I leave this up is to show the world what the "good guys" are capable of.

[xetlive]

Hey dumbass! Theres a camera in your car and a microphone on you.

Dee De De,

And his buddies will go down for lying with him, That girl will have a big chunk of dinero soon.

[milkieways]

perhaps the 'double edge sword' struck its proper target in this epsidoe; cop buddies doing their level best to create, doctor and remake the true facts so as to protect their own----therein lies the true crime, aside from a clearly-DUI driver----here you've got cops that got nabbed; so many other similar episodes surely go undetected; listen closely to the nasty street-thug plans of these fine gents words of those sworn "to protect the innocent...."

[theballer04]

@exacerbatedtaboo The guy got 90 days. Absolute fucking joke.

[dennis4679]

Wow..how sad. For whoever participated in "doctoring a report" should get mandatory jail time. That shit just can't happen. PERIOD.

[DAMMITPANDA]

Funny how these jack offs stroke each others little dicks. I know how to word it to get him off. WTF what a piece of shit.

[raneve23]

Wow

[ml1157]

Cops, pigs bastards. You dont deserve to work as a police officer. They are so used to get away whith everything, they lye on camera.

"OK young lady, are you OK". Mister police criminal, you are a shame for all police officers. It's assholes like you that bring people to hate police.

At the end you act like someone helping the lady. Fuck you. We cannot say use your brain, you dont have any...

[xImASneakyOnex]

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in some time. As of tonight, I lost ALL respect I have for law enforcement.

[yoyo762]

Ya know, the casualness of the way these cops talked about the cover up, they've done it before many times.

I never trust a cop. Utube has opened many eyes about how crooked these " finest" are.

[yoyo762]

The cops were fired and two of them are facing numerous charges. Both are out of jail on 100k bonds awaiting trial.

[gargoyle1701]

cops are liars and thieves

[johnnyboypdq]

C.O.P. (Criminals On Partol) Good, bad, whatever, If they are in trouble for some shit they started / caused they will protect each other and LIE, Lie, lie to shift their blame on some other innocent by-stander! Don't trust them, because they are all revenue collectors NOT protectors! They only protect their asses and arrive after a crime to falsley state they are protecting you! What a load of crap! They protect the CRIME Scene! If there isn't a crime they make one up for you! Cha-Ching!