Tallahassee Police Officer Caught On Video Tampering Evidence During A DUI Arrest Of A Black Man

Tallahassee Police Officer Caught On Video Tampering Evidence During A DUI Arrest Of A Black Man

What started as a regular traffic check for Calvin Riley, driving his white Mercedes Benz on South Monroe, turned into a nightmare for the law. The Tallahassee Police Department has been accused of fabricating evidence, which has brought attention to the fine line that separates law enforcement from criminal activity.

Officer Kiersten Oliver of the Tallahassee Police Department pulled up behind him, activated her lights, and made an arrest. Oliver, who is only 26 years old, is one of the newest hires in the Department as a result of TPD Chief Lawrence Revell’s aggressive hiring practices.

Oliver calls in backup and discusses the particulars with Officer Margaret Mueth who arrived at the scene. Oliver asks Mueth to contact Riley under the pretext of verifying his address to check if she thinks he is under the influence of something.

 

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“I feel like I’m getting some indications, I’m not really sure. I can’t really smell anything right now,” Oliver says, indicating that her sense of smell was diminished. Oliver, in comments captured by her body-worn camera, tells Riley that he smells like marijuana. Oliver, who says he doesn’t smoke weed, took offense to Oliver’s comments. “You lie,” Riley says in the video.

Despite initial claims that Riley smelt like marijuana, by the time they had placed Riley in the back of Oliver’s patrol car, officers began to claim that Riley smelled like alcohol. “Is there enough, like before that?” Oliver asks Mueth after placing Riley in the backseat of her squad car.

The public defender representing Riley questioned Officer Oliver in a pretrial hearing held in late February. Oliver claimed she poured the liquid out because of Tallahassee Police Department Policy #42 which she said “prohibited impounding liquids as evidence.”

“They claim blacks play victim… it’s because they ARE,” someone commented. “Man I don’t feel sorry for anyone driving with liquor on their car …that thing was getting cracked at some point …drunk drivers kill people could be you . I ain’t excusing the cops though,” another person wrote. “She needs to be criminally charged and locked up for 25 years! Tf?!” someone else added.