Caught On Tape: Florida Officers Falsify Report

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."

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