The police chief of Hollywood is speaking out for the first time since a video surfaced showing some of his officers trying to frame a DUI suspect for a February traffic accident.
Chief Chadwick Wagner spoke outside the Hollywood Police Department today, ensuring the public that his office is investigating the incident, which he said he had no knowledge of until just three days ago.
"I realize and understand those that feel a sense of betrayal over this incident," Wagner said. "And I ask each and every one of you to allow this investigative process to run its course and to have confidence that this matter will be investigated accurately and professionally."
Wagner said that he immediately called internal affairs when he learned of the incident, and he is bringing in the Broward County State Attorney's office to assist in the investigation.
Wagner said he couldn't discuss the specifics of the case because the investigation is ongoing, but he did add a fifth name to the list of Hollywood officials being investigated, crime scene technician Andrea Tomassi.
Tomassi, along with Officers Joel Francisco and Dewey Pressley, Sgt. Andrew Diaz and community service Officer Karim Thomas are under investigation for the shocking February 17 incident that was all caught on a police dashboard camera.
The disturbing video shows Alexandra Torrensvilas, 23, handcuffed in the back of the squad car as the officers get their stories straight after Officer Francisco, an 11-year veteran, crashed into the back of Torrensvilas' vehicle.
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When Officer Pressley arrives and questions Torrensvilas, she tells him that she has been drinking. The 21-year veteran officer seized the opportunity and arrests her for DUI, and then the cops begin to brainstorm believable excuses for the accident.
"As far as I'm concerned. I'm going to put words in his mouth. She went to accelerate and a cat jumped out of the window at which point he thought it could have been a pedestrian, which distracted him," Pressley tells Sgt. Andrew Diaz, another veteran of the force. "I mean what's the chances of hitting a f---in drunk when a cat jumps out of the window?"
Still, the cops run with the half-baked idea and rush to get Torrensvilas to do a Breathalyzer test so they can officially say she was drunk.
"I nailed her on the video. I already hung her on video. She said she has been doing a beer party," Pressley says. "She's gonna blow."
Then, another cop debates with Pressley on who is going to write up the fabricated report to clear their police comrade.
"I know how I'm going to word this with the cat so we can get him off the hook. I'll write the narrative," Pressley says. "We're going to bend this a little bit. We'll do a little Walt Disney to protect the cop because it wouldn't have mattered because she is drunk anyway."
The charges against Torrensvilas have since been dropped. The five employees have been suspended with pay.
