By Carlos Miller
A South Florida cop rear-ends a woman who was stopped at a green light in her red Toyota. The woman appears to be drunk. Police have enough to whisk her away to jail.
But there is still that little problem of the collision. The cop did rear-end her, so he is technically at fault.
But it’s nothing that a cop with a vivid imagination can’t remedy. A fudging of the truth here. A blatant lie there. A deus ex machina to kick things off on the sworn affidavit.
And voila, suddenly it’s the woman’s fault.
The only problem is, the scheme of the Hollywood police officers was caught on a dash cam video recorder.
So now the cat is out of the bag.
The officers decided to make up a story that the woman, Alexandra Torrensvilas, was driving around with a cat on her lap on February 17 when it suddenly sprang out the window of the moving vehicle.
You know, the way cats do some times.
This unexpected movement caused the woman to veer into the next lane, directly into the path of the officer. She then slammed on her brakes.
Meanwhile, the officer is distracted seeing this cat jump out the window of a moving vehicle. It could be a kid, after all, one of them says as they are conjuring the tale. Or to put it more precisely, “a fucking kid.”
The officers are Officer Dewey Pressley, 42, Officer Joel Francisco, 36, Sgt. Andrew Diaz, 39; and civilian Community Service Officer Karim Thomas, age unavailable.
They are all on paid administrative duty pending an internal affairs investigation and a review by the Broward State Attorney’s Office.
Below are a few statements from the transcript that was posted on JaaBlog, the South Florida legal justice blog that first broke this story. You can also hear it in the video in the South Florida Sun Sentinel article.
First cop: And there is no reason in your head whether you keep a safe distance or not, you would be anticipating someone to abruptly slam on the brakes unless you see a large object coming and especially — as far as I am concerned I am going to put words in his mouth. She went to accelerate a cat jumped out, literally a cat jumped out the window at which time as he thought
Second cop: (Laughing) .
First cop: – could have been a pedestrian, which distracted him because he was concerned and that’s normal. And before he comes to a stop, boom. Hey.
Second cop: A. (Unintelligible) .
First cop: Actually, I mean I wouldn’t expect a cat to come out. I mean it could have been a fucking kid jump out the fucking window.Second cop: That’s exactly what I thought. I didn’t know what the fuck was going on.***First cop: Yes. Just let me space the whole thing out. i will do the narrative for you. I know how I am going to word this, the cat gets him off the hook.First cop: Well, is there any way — this is what I want to articulate that she was in this lane and cut over to this lane. It was at the angle what I tried to do with my head on camera is follow the cat. If the cat were to jump you could get to her exactly. That’s what I want.
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.
Second cop: Okay***First cop: Well, 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. You see the angle of her car –Second cop: Yes.
First cop: You see where it’s like this?
Second cop: Yes.
First cop: As far as I am concerned I am going to word it she, is in the left hand lane.
Second cop: Okay.
First cop: And when the cat jumped out she abruptly got over to this lane and slammed on the brakes.
***
First cop: Andre. .. Andre, come here a minute. We’ll do a little Walt Disney to protect the cop because it wouldn’t have matter because she is drunk anyway. You see the angle of her car? You see where the collision is?
Cop taking pictures of “evidence”: Okay.
First cop: You have already taken photographs yes or no?
Cop taking pictures of “evidence”: Yes.
First cop: Is there any way — this is what I want to articulate that she was in this lane and cut over to this lane. It was at the angle what I tried to do with my head on camera is follow the cat. If the cat were to jump you could get to her exactly. That’s what I want.
You don’t have to get any pictures I need or any whatever, because I don’t want Joe to get any (unintelligible). That’s not fair to him. She is freaking hammered anyway.
Cop taking pictures: No problem.
So Torrensvilas is carted off to jail and Officer Dewey Pressley sits down to type up the probable cause affidavit. Like most cops, he is unable to unlock the caps key, which is essentially the same as yelling. But we’ve already seen what kind of guy he is.
He ends up charging her with DUI, DUI with property damage to others and improper lane change.
Here are a few excerpts from the affidavit, which is below the transcript in the above link:
APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET INTO THE INTERSECTION, OFFICER FRANCISCO OBSERVED A LARGE OBJECT DARK GRAY IN COLOR TO HAVE BECOME:’EJECTED OUT OF THE DRIVER’S FRONT WINDOW OF THIS RED TOYOTA. THIS RED TOYOTA WITHOUT ANY WARNING CHANGED ITS COURSE OF TRAVEL INTO THE CENTER LANE WHICH OFFICER FRANCISCO WAS OCCUPYING.
THIS VEHICLE ABRUPTLY APPLIED ITS BRAKES AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN FRONT OF OFFICER FRANCISCO LEAVING HIM NO COURSE OF ACTION BUT TO STRIKE THE RIGHT REAR OF THE RED TOYOTA WITH THE LEFT FRONT OF HIS POLICE VEHICLE.
***
OFFICER FRANCISCO STATED THAT THE ARRESTEE TORRENS MADE A SPONTANEOUS STATEMENT THAT “IT JUST JUMPED OUT”, AT WHICH TIME HE QUESTIONED WHAT HAD JUMPED OUT. THE ARRESTEE STATED” A LARGE GRAY STRAY CAT”, WHICH HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE ARRESTEE’S LAP WHILE SHE WAS OPERATING THIS VEHICLE. WITHOUT ANY INDICATION THIS C/\T HAD JUMPED OFF OF THE ARRESTEE’S LAP AND OUT OF THIS VEHICLE THROUGH THE OPEN DRIVER’S WINDOW WHILE THIS VEHICLE WAS IN TRANSIT. THIS HAD DISTRACTED THE ARRESTEE, CAl,lSING HER TO LOOK BACK TOWARDS HER LEFT AND THE ARRESTEE STEERED THIS VEHICLE RIGHT INTO OFFICER FRANCISCO’S PATH OF TRAVEL.
***
THIS OFFICER WHILE ADMINISTERING THIS BREATH TEST DID OBSERVE WHAT APPEARED TO BE GREY IN COLOR CAT HAIRS AFFIXED TO THE ARRESTEE’S CLOTHING.
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26 responses so far ↓
1 the bulldog // Jul 28, 2009 at 10:06 PM
WHY ARE THEY ON PAID MOTHER FUCKING LEAVE??????
2 MC // Jul 28, 2009 at 10:14 PM
They are on paid leave because cops have the same constitutional rights as everyone else. I imagine that’s hard for the cop haters to digest, but cops have the same protections: innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. If you advocate a different standard for cops, you’re both un-American and a hypocrite.
3 Karl Mansoor // Jul 28, 2009 at 10:29 PM
MC,
Actually, I think it might be more accurate (or nit-picky) to say they are on paid leave because of civil service guidelines, union contract guidelines, or departmental policy rather than constitutional rights.
The constitutional rights issue comes into play for criminal charges if any.
…fancy meeting you here if you are the same MC I recently met via email.
KM
4 steveo // Jul 28, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Leos know about the Constitution? What, only when it affects them? This stuff just doesn’t stop. Just amazing.
5 Pinandpuller // Jul 28, 2009 at 11:39 PM
How about unpaid leave until proven innocent?
Or how about guilty until we make up a plausible cover story?
Hey MC if you want to cut down on cop haters why don’t you see that they live up to the standards we do-like not shooting people’s dogs when responding to alarms at their house: http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/family-questions-police-shooting-101050.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab (from The Agitator).
6 steveo // Jul 28, 2009 at 11:52 PM
Let me expand on pinandpuller: Or, MC, the pepper spraying and tasering of a deaf and dumb mentally challenged black man to get him out of a bathroom.
http://blog.al.com/live/2009/07/deaf_man_tased_pepper_sprayed.html
7 Michaelk42 // Jul 28, 2009 at 11:58 PM
I think MC has some issues.
I don’t see why calling these guys out for fabricating this report makes anyone a cop hater.
Oh, except I think in MC’s world anyone that questions a cop’s integrity, regardless of the evidence or actual proof of guilt, must automatically not just hate that cop, but hate all cops. Not just disagree with, not just question. But hate, and hate them all.
Typical of the “if you’re against one of us you’re against all of us” mindset.
Though I suspect the truth is much more like MC is the one who hates, though I don’t pretend to fathom exactly why.
8 Karl Mansoor // Jul 29, 2009 at 12:19 AM
FYI for anybody who cares – upon a second read of the post, and other linked info, evidently the officers are currently on administrative duties, not paid leave.
9 YO YO YO // Jul 29, 2009 at 12:54 AM
Is it just me or are there more police shenanigans these days than ever before? Is there something in the water? WTF?!
Enough of the cop hater bs, kudos to those who report on this behavior.
10 Pinandpuller // Jul 29, 2009 at 12:58 AM
Hey can we form a citizen’s union? Everyone beaten or tased by a cop gets a week paid leave from wherever they work-if applicable.
Thanks for the clarification Karl. I guess they are pushing paper now-correct? I hope someone sprays down their office supplies with peper spray.
11 Carlos Miller // Jul 29, 2009 at 12:58 AM
Karl,
Why is it that cops always type their arrest reports in capital letters? Is that a requirement?
12 genewitch // Jul 29, 2009 at 5:03 AM
Carlos: it might be because caps scan better than lowercase. Every court document i’ve seen is always in caps.
13 Rob Molecule // Jul 29, 2009 at 7:46 AM
MC,
The problem is that they rarely end up in a court of law. What would result in criminal charges for ordinary citizens is often treated as departmental discipline when police violate these same laws. And as far as their employment status, most people would be fired in these situations, not having the benefit of unpaid leave. If I crashed a company car and video showed I was the one responsible and lied about it, I’d expect to be fired, not sent home with pay or put on desk duty.
14 Karl Mansoor // Jul 29, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Carlos at #11
THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL REQUIREMENT TO DO SO OF WHICH I’M AWARE. IT MAY BE A PARTICULAR OFFICER’S PERSONAL PREFERENCE, OR PERHAPS , AN INDIVIDUAL AGENCY REQUIREMENT.
MAYBE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS THINK IT LOOKS COOL OR MORE MILITARISTIC, OR IT IS PART OF THEIR PERCEIVED “COMMAND PRESENCE,” YOU KNOW, THEIR PARTICULAR FENG SHUI – OR MAYBE JUST A HABIT – WHO KNOWS?
AS FOR GENEWITCH AT #12 – KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD AND WHERE I CAN SEE THEM
.
All kidding aside, I don’t know. Looks harder to read to me. As far as court documents and other related items, it depends on which documents. DMV transcripts and criminal history printouts – the ones I’ve seen – are generally all caps. Court and magistrate generated warrants and summons of which I’ve seen vary. Most typed narratives from my last agency were not all caps.
15 LibertyTiger // Jul 29, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Carlos, perhaps the computer system is a legacy, case insensitive system, or it could be that the cop is typing on an industrial type keyboard that’s difficult to type normally. There could be another explanation too. If you notice your correspondence from government agencies a good deal of them will be in all caps. Even if the entire document isn’t all caps, frequently your name and address will be. There are some conspiracy theorist who say that this all-caps representation of your name refers to your corporate entity that’s created along with your birth cert or ssn. Because we have no moral obligation to obey the administrative demands of government the gov’t creates a commercial obligation on our corporate personas. It sounds plausible but I haven’t seen any evidence confirming or refuting the conspiracy.
16 steveo // Jul 29, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Don’t go to Chicago. Or at least don’t ride in any vehicle in Chicago.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/police.deadly.force.2.1105766.html
17 NYCPhotorights // Jul 29, 2009 at 12:43 PM
So Chicago just turned cops into EXECUTIONERS and instituted the death penalty for fleeing a police officer – UNBELIEVABLE!
Can the world f Judge Dredd be that far from reality?
18 Carlos Miller // Jul 29, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I wonder how long it will be until they shoot an innocent bystander while shooting at a fleeing vehicle.
19 steveo // Jul 29, 2009 at 1:06 PM
I can’t take this anymore. Please wake me up and tell me I live in America.
http://www.myfoxwausau.com/dpp/news/dpgo_grandpa_pregnant_mom_tasered_at_party_20090729_2708934
20 steveo // Jul 29, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Public intoxication while standing in your backyard? PISYB.
21 steveo // Jul 29, 2009 at 1:15 PM
I wonder what the statute of limitations is for PISYB? I could be in big trouble.
22 Bill William // Jul 29, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Those cops should think God she was not a friend or relative of mine.
23 Robert Watt // Jul 31, 2009 at 9:50 PM
You ever notice how as soon as cops started getting busted by their cameras depts stoped installing them? What about microphones in their badges,if they have nothing to hide why should they care. Names in CAPS does represent corperate personhood. The codes origanly applied to persons NOT SOVERIEGNS, a person being a artificial entity for profit it was regulated by the codes! We as our high court said r governed by the common & constitutional law. But who would belive THAT?
24 no1ofnote // Jul 31, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Holy crap. I kinda know the Pressly guy. He seems so down-to-earth and straightfoward. I expect this kind of thing in my hometown, after all, this is the department that bungled the Adam Walsh murder (John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted). But this guy just seemed the last to want to be foolish and evil like this. Too sad, too bad. Can’t trust anyone any more.
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