http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/03/2486268/fhp-supervisor-hesitant-about.htmlA Florida Highway Patrol supervisor can be heard on tape telling dispatchers to have state trooper Donna Watts “back off” as she followed a speeding Miami police officer on Florida’s Turnpike in Hollywood.
“He’s well over 120 and he’s not stopping for me,’’ Watts is heard saying on a recording released Thursday of communication between FHP and Watts, before she pulled over the officer with her gun drawn. The 11-minute recording was released in response to requests from the media.
The Oct. 11 traffic stop ended with a ticket for Miami police officer Fausto Lopez, but also appeared to have created a firestorm of controversy between Miami police and the FHP. Miami officers are backing their colleagues and criticizing FHP for treating him as though he was a criminal, while the FHP troopers and the public are criticizing the officer for speeding and not obeying the law.
The FHP recording is garbled and unclear at times, with different people speaking, often using law enforcement dispatch signals and codes. It begins a few minutes before 6:30 a.m., with Watts saying a car is going more than 120 mph and moving in and out of traffic.