Police officers have a responsibility to behave professionally and respect the rights of a person they suspect of committing a crime, such as driving while intoxicated. Police misconduct during an arrest can force prosecutors to dismiss criminal charges or a court to find in favor of the defendant. Dashboard and body cameras are meant to keep police officers accountable by recording visual and audio evidence of what happened during the arrest. However, those investigating alleged police misconduct can also use video evidence to disprove a false claim. For instance, video footage seems to debunk a Texas woman’s allegation that a police officer sexually assaulted her during her DWI arrest.
Allegations
A police officer stopped a 37-year-old Texas woman in May for a traffic violation, which led to her arrest on suspicion of DWI. The woman’s family reportedly contacted a civil rights attorney because the woman claimed that the arresting officer sexually assaulted her and threatened violence. The accusations included that:
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