Winston Dudley (shown left) has won a false arrest case where a police account was proven to be false after the review of security tapes. Officer Daniel R. Gowans wrote a report that said that Dudley was “disorderly intoxicated” and resisted arrest on Sept.18, 2010. However, the video directly contradicted Gowans account. While Dudley will receive $30,000, there is no indication that the officer will be fired for a early false report following a false arrest.
Gowans said that he responded to a complaint of a man blasting loud music in his back yard. He reported that Dudley refused to turn off the music and then walked away when the officer tried to arrest him. Gowans stated that he asked Dudley, who was 50 at the time, to show him identification and told him to turn off the music. However, “Dudley laughed and stated ‘I don’t have to, get lost,'” Gowans said that Dudley continued to refuse to turn off the music or give him his ID. “Dudley laughed again and started to drink his beer. I took Dudley by his left arm and advised him to place his hands behind his back. Dudley pulled away and started to walk into his residence … Dudley attempted to pull away and stated ‘Get out of here, it’s my house.'”
However, a home security system showed that within seconds of the officers walking into his backyard, Dudley immediately stood up from his lounger, went into his house and turned the music down or off. It also shows that he sat down and did not try to walk away or resist in the arrest.
Not only did the officer clearly lie but the case also shows how “resisting arrest” can be tacked on to any charge by an officer and — without a lucky videotape — it virtually unassailable by a defendant.
Now here is the kicker. Despite the challenge to the arrest and the eventual settlement of a false arrest claim, the Fort Lauderdale police department says that it has not started any investigation of the officer because no one has filed a complaint. So, the city settles a false arrest claim and the department is confronted with a clearly false police report, but it has not obligation to launch its own investigation?
When reporters pressed Tim Donnelly, head of the Broward State Attorney’s Office special prosecutions unit, he said that he was never informed of the case by the Police Department and would now look into it.
Gowens is reportedly involved in another case under investigation where he and a partner were accused of making a “misleading account of a drug-related arrest.”
If the citizens of Fort Lauderdale are wondering how such misconduct can occur, they need only look at their police department and its response to this case. The fact that the department did not take it upon itself to launch an investigation is an indictment of the entire department and particularly its leadership.
Source: Sun Sentinel
I don’t think they are all bad….but I know one real pitiful dirt bag in FT Laud PD..Geoffrey Schafer..has not been held accountable for his lies yet. You think when the cop that falsely arrested you and planted evidence gets arrested for doing the same thing to someone else…that you have been morally vindicated…then the AHOLE judge acquits. But he will sooner or later be exposed . Ever notice when the judges run for office they are all endorsed by the police unions? Seem like a conflict of interest to me…not seems IT IS. I have also noticed since never being involved with attorneys that some are really misogynistic narcissistic..money addicts. Thank God I don’t have to count on the legal system for justice. And hello…they mess with white folks too.
Another case to show that police officer are nothing but liars and incapable of fufilling their duty. There should be a law to prosecute police officer who are making false arrest and accusation just to show he or she does not have limit to what he or she can do because he or she have a badge and a gun. Nonetheless, the public should stop believing in the police officer as showing in cartoon when he or she was young. Some of them would have ethics and controls, but example like the story above make them think they can practically get away with anything.
All this race stuff..is a bit biased. Caucasians run into Fort Lauderdale’s finest and end up behind bars too sometimes cause a cop likes big boobs….don’t they Schaffer you steaming pile of crap. How do u sleep?
Who was this guys lawyer? I have the exact crap happening to me. The police narrative I read today was filled with mainly lies with half truths covering the othe 10% of the report. This pig slammed me to the pavement after asking for an attorney three times, then has the audacity to try and tack on resisting arrest!
Kraaken,
Re your comment that we would be better without….
Not really proof, but am amazed how well traffic gets by without traffic lights out of function, even in larger areas. No congestion, the speed just drops a bit.
Dudley was arrested for disrespect of cop and being a bad neighbor. Our peace disturbance statute doesn’t kick in until 11:00pm. Rude neighbors are off the hook until then. Maybe Mr. Dudley was operating under a similar knowledge when he got rude with the cop which is why he wasn’t arrested for peace disturbance? Just a thought. In any event, false arrest should not be tolerated.
OS, that was an execution, the cops should go to jail.
wedge56: 1) Florida
2) Texas
3) Arizona
The un-holy triad!
Nick Spinelli >”shano, While I totally agree about lying under oath, if we had a clear way of determining it for ALL cops who lie under oath, we would be left unprotected.”<
If situations like this are what passes for protection, I think we'd be better without!
The Boss, 1999
http://youtu.be/3w6d7Skpxe8
The Story behind the Song
AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) was inspired from the incident that took place on 04 Feb 1999, when four white New York City plainclothes police officers (Richard Murphy, Kenneth Boss, Sean Carroll, and Edward McMellon) shot dead Amadou Diallo, a 22 year old black West African immigrant. The four men suspected Diallo to match the profile of a rapist that had committed crimes in the area (Bronx) then, and when he tried to pull out what they later found out to be his wallet (which they presumed to be a gun), they opened fire, “41 shots”, 19 of which hit the target. The officers were later tried for murder, but were found innocent by the jury. The verdict was not welcomed by many groups which created an atmosphere of tension in the city
Again….Florida…how many more stories have to come out of there about their law enforcement before there is a major investigation?
bill mcwilliams, and of course, anyone could have made that mistake. Anyone at all, he was just having a bad hair day.