Two Coral Springs Police officers are currently under investigation after allegedly falsifying reports in a DUI arrest of a woman in October, according to CSPD spokesperson Lt. Joe McHugh and the Broward State Attorney's Office.
On October 4, Susan Mait, 60, ran her Lexus into the curb on Royal Palm Boulevard and developed two flat tires, the Sun Sentinel reports. Officers Derek Fernandes and Nicole Stasnek responded to the scene, ultimately charging Mait with driving under the influence and resisting arrest.
Mait, whose husband was killed by a driver under the influence of drugs, according to the Sentinel, spent the night in jail.
But the Broward State Attorney dropped charges against Mait this week after urine samples revealed she only had an anti-depressant in her system, the Associated Press reports, and after an audio recording was released that confirmed false statements on the officers' depositions.
While Mait was on the phone with a Geico representative who was recording her call for a tow truck, Officer Stasnek addressed the 60-year-old driver. Here is the beginning of their recorded exchange (sound file posted above):
Mait: "Did you not see me on the phone?"
Stasnek: "Did you not see this uniform that I have on? Don't give me any (expletive) right now. Give me your (expletive) driver's license."
Mait: "Excuse me."
Stasnek: "Give me your driver's license right now."
In her deposition, obtained by Palm Beach Post, Stasnek says she warned Mait about resisting arrest three times -- but the recording contains no such speech.
The recording also reveals the officers allegedly getting their stories straight about what they would write on the incident report. "I did drop the F-bomb," Stasnek is heard stating on the recording.
"I didn't hear that. I didn't hear it. In my statement, I didn't hear that," Fernandes allegedly responded.
Although officers Stasnek and Fernandes are still on duty as of Thursday, they are under investigation.
"We have been informed by the state attorneys office on March 22 that 2 of our officers are under investigation," Lt. Joe McHugh told HuffPost Miami. "We will be corroborating fully with the state attorneys office to have this matter resolved. As the facts are developed we will be taking any and all appropriate administrative action."