Have you ever wondered what goes through a police officer’s head if he or she determines there is a need to “bend” the truth? Do police even do that sometimes? You know…lie? Do they look out for each other? Is there special treatment for police officers sometimes?

The incident which follows, among other things, introduced me to a new and magical term never before heard in my ears during my policing experience; that would be to, “do a little Walt Disney,” when the truth needs a little bit of doctoring. I know truth "bending" occurs, I just have not heard the incorporated reference to the creator of the Magic Kingdom. I found a link to this incident while browsing comments on another police blog and it led me to what I believe was the initial breaking blog story.

Back on February 17, 2009 in Hollywood Florida, Hollywood Police Officer Joel Francisco was stopped in traffic at a red light. When the light changed, traffic moved forward. A vehicle which had been in front of Officer Francisco, stopped suddenly; it was then struck from behind by Francisco’s police vehicle.

Officer Francisco approached the female driver and suspected that she was DUI. Other officers responded to assist Officer Francisco. Here is an excerpt from the police report completed by one of the assisting officers, Dewey Pressley (may have connections with Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe)

OFFICER FRANCISCO ADVISED THAT HE HAD BEEN STOPPED FOR THE RED LIGHT IN THE 2800 BLOCK OF SHERIDAN ST. OCCUPYING THE CENTER WESTBOUND LANE. THE TRAFFIC LIGHT HAD CHANGED TO GREEN AND AS HE BEGAN ACCELERATING HE OBSERVED TO HIS LEFT A RED OLDER MODEL TOYOTA, WHICH WAS ALSO TRAVELING WESTBOUND. APPROXIMATELY 50 FT. 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. THIS OFFICER ASSISTING IN THIS TRAFFIC CRASH INVESTIGATION DID OBSERVE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE PRESENT. THIS EVIDENCE SHOWED THE PATH OF TRAVEL AND THE ANGLE OF IMPACT OF THESE TWO VEHICLES.

AFTER THE TRAFFIC CRASH HAD OCCURRED OFFICER FRANCISCO IMMEDIATELY EXITED HIS VEHICLE TO CHECK ON THE OTHER DRIVER. UPON DOING SO HE OBSERVED A W/F THAT WAS SEATED BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL, BEING THE SOLE OCCUPANT IN THIS VEHICLE. THIS DRIVER IS NOTED TO BE THE ARRESTEE WHO IS ALSO LISTED AS V-1 IN THE TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT. 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 CAT 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, CAUSING HER TO LOOK BACK TOWARDS HER LEFT AND THE ARRESTEE STEERED THIS VEHICLE RIGHT INTO OFFICER FRANCISCO'S PATH OF TRAVEL.

Now, here are some excerpts, as the truth is beginning to unfold, from the audio of the police video system which was transcribed yesterday, July 27, 2009. Evidently, the officers may not have been aware audio was still being recorded. The currently available version of the transcript does not identify which of several officers are making the various statements.

officer  - Well, I mean it is such a double edged sword.

officer - I don't think you will have a problem with that at all.

officer - It is such a double edged sword, because you are at a traffic light and the traffic light goes green and people start to accelerate.

officer - There you go.

officer - 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'm concerned, I'm 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...

officer - (laughing)

officer - ... 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.

officer - 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.

officer - That's exactly what I thought. I didn't know what the fuck was going on.

officer - I ain't worried about the accident shit right now. Let me get her a blow and get her sample. I know they are on video. I hung her up to dry on that. She gets to the stop light, I mean she is telling me, well, she abruptly slams on the brakes, blah, blah, blah. So I ain't too worried about that. I mean what's the chance of hitting a fucking drunk with a cat jumping out the window...

officer - Tell him I will take care of the narrative and the crash report and give it to him or e-mail it.

officer - When you are done let me see...

officer  - ... just let me space the whole thing out. I will do the narrative for you. I know how I'm going to word this, the cat gets him off the hook... 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... I am going to show you something. We are going to bend this a little bit.

officer - Okay.

officer - Because she is drunk, so it is what it is.

officer - Hey, you are the expert.

officer - 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?

officer - Yes.

officer - You see where it's like this?

officer - Yes.

officer - As far as I'm concerned, I am going to word it, she is in the left-hand lane.

officer - Okay.

officer - And when the cat jumped out she abruptly got over to this lane and slammed on the brakes.

officer - Okay.

officer - Because of the angle of the crash, his is over here, hers is on that side and the angle of the crash.

officer - That's fine.

officer - I will make sure Andre gets - you know what I'm saying?

officer - That's fine.

officer - Andre. Andre, come here a minute. We'll do a little Walt Disney to protect the cop because it wouldn't have mattered because she is drunk anyway. You see the angle of her car? You see where the collision is?

officer - Okay.

officer - You have already taken photographs, yes or no?

officer - yes.

officer - 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... 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.

officer - No problem.

officer - What's your badge again?

officer - (unintelligible)

officer - We are always on the same page, that's why we get along so well.

officer - That's what I thought. That was my first thought too. Because when I talked to them I said, okay, now she was in this lane right? I have done plenty accidents from right here where this person goes over.

officer - We are good. We are good.

Well, actually they are not so good. Officer Francisco never saw any cat and the alleged DUI driver was directly in front of Officer Francisco instead of the lane next to him.

Too bad the officers didn't pay attention to the moral from this Disney guy.


For additional information see SunSentinal.com.

UPDATE 7/29/09 Via Packratt at Injustice Everywhere, evidently 21-year Hollywood Flordia Police veteran Dewey Pressley (Now almost certainly having an association with Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe) is no stranger to allegations of fabricating stories to cover for some of his co-workers. Here is the story.

Editors Note: For any thin skinned police officers reading this, please don't assume this is meant to paint all police with the same brush. It only serves to illustrate a significant and continual problem which too many LEOs persistently ignore.