Body cam footage released from the Orlando Police Department shows two officers pulling over a car driven by Orange County state attorney Aramis Ayala – who is currently in a legal battle with Florida Gov. Rick Scott after she was pulled off several cases over her objection to the death penalty.
The footage, according to the Tampa Bay Times, shows Ayala being pulled over on June 19th shortly after 8 p.m. while leaving the FAMU law school where she serves as an instructor. In the video, Ayala identifies herself as a state attorney and asked why she was pulled over.
The officer said that they had run her tag and it came back with nothing attached to the records, also saying her windows were “really dark”.
A spokesman for the police department told the paper that department policy allows for the running of tags for official business and that it is done routinely.
Ayala’s office issued a statement to the paper saying she was not filing any type of complaint over the stop, but remains adamant she violated no laws.
“The license plate, while confidential was and remains properly registered. The tint was in no way a violation of Florida law,” the statement read. “Although the traffic stop appears to be consistent with Florida law. My goal is to have a constructive and mutually respectful relationship between law enforcement and the community.”
Ayala drew national attention when she said her office would not pursue the death penalty in several cases, including one involving alleged Orlando cop killer Markeith Loyd. Scott removed her from that case and others, setting off legal battles between the two that has gone all the way to the Florida Supreme Court.
