MIAMI – The Florida Highway Patrol on Thursday released the radio dispatch transmissions from an incident in which a Florida Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a Miami police officer who she said was driving 120 mph on Florida's Turnpike.
The recordings contain the conversations between Trooper D.J. Watts, her dispatcher and their supervisor during the Oct. 11 incident, which lasted for seven minutes and 12 miles. Miami police Officer Fausto Lopez, 35, was charged with reckless driving after Watts pulled him over.
In the recording, the dispatcher referred to the trooper by her identification number, 796.
Trooper: "I don't know what agency it is. I'm on 91 almost at Sunrise. He's well over 120, and he's not stopping for me it's (inaudible) from this exit. He's in and out of traffic, signal 12 all over, just passing Sunrise now southbound."
Dispatch: "796 do you have a description of that vehicle yet?"
Trooper: "All I can see is a light patrol car with blue or something like that riding lights. It would be a Miami orDOT, and I'm sure it's not DOT.
Dispatch: "322, if it's a patrol car just have her back off."
"Signal 12" refers to reckless driving. The recordings also indicate that the trooper thought the police cruiser may have been stolen.
Dispatch: "I've got city of Miami on landline. They're verifying that it was a city of Miami PD car correct?"
Trooper: "10-4. We're about to (inaudible) 10-98."
Dispatch: "Are you able to verify the tags, the one that uh, 796 gave me? It doesn't come back as a patrol car."
Dispatch: "On that vehicle is X-ray 82476, comes back on an old Ford university bus. Citrus County Association for Retarded Citizens"
Trooper: "10-4. I've got the subject detained for now."
Dispatch: "Ascertain, is he in uniform? 796 can you advise."
Trooper: "What did 322 relay to me?"
Dispatch: "10-4, that if subject is in uniform, to get his name and contact."
Trooper: "10-4. I'll get his contact now."
When Lopez pulled over, Watts pulled out her service revolver, ordered him from the car and handcuffed him until she figured out who he was and why he was allegedly speeding.
The incident, which has sparked a whirlwind of reaction from the community and police agencies, was also recorded on dash camera.