We’re
often told by security professionals that the widespread adoption of
surveillance cameras can hold officers accountable and provide valuable
evidence for court proceedings. One Wisconsin woman is living proof that
sometimes CCTV footage, used in conjunction with other evidence, really can
serve the cause of justice.
Wisconsin
resident Tanya Weyker was involved in a serious car crash with Milwaukee County
Sheriff’s Office Deputy Joseph Quiles’ vehicle in February of last year. Quiles
rolled through a stop sign and “T-boned” her car, breaking her neck and
wrecking her vehicle. Ever since, the 25-year-old woman has been trying to
regain a semblance of her former life.
To
add insult to injury, until quite recently, Weyker was facing drunken driving
charges stemming solely from Quiles’ testimony at the time of the crash. Weyker
was arrested after the accident on the charge that she appeared to be
intoxicated—even though the arresting officer could not administer field
sobriety tests due to the serious nature of Weyker’s injuries. All the while,
undiscovered surveillance footage showed that Quiles, not Weyker, had caused
the crash.
“I
explained to him my eyes were red and glassy because I was crying,” Weyker
stated. Her attorney, Todd Korb, further noted the surprising nature of this
arrest, given the lack of evidence that she was drunk at the time. “I can’t say
it is necessarily a cover up, but it is suspicious,” Korb told CNN.
Video
footage from a nearby airport surveillance camera recently surfaced, showing
that the officer caused the crash by failing to stop at a stop sign.
Furthermore, the results of drug and alcohol tests administered at the hospital
became available and confirmed Weyker’s sobriety at the time of the crash.
An
internal investigation at the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office launched after
the incident further vindicated Weyker. In a recorded interrogation, the
officer admits that he was at fault for the accident.
Internal
Investigator: “You believe that you probably did roll?”
Deputy
Quiles: “Yes. Yes, I do.”
Internal
Investigator: “And because of that, you believe you were at fault for this accident.”
Deputy
Quiles: “That’s correct.”
Quiles
has never officially been disciplined for misreporting the accident. Rather, he
was suspended for nine days for violating traffic laws and damaging county
equipment. As of March 2014, the deputy was still listed as active in the
airport division of the Sheriff's Office. He has filed for permanent
disability, but his claim is still pending before the County’s Employee
Retirement System, according to The Raw Story.
Reports
written at the time of the crash described Quiles’ injuries as minor, and he
was treated and released from a hospital following the wreck. Nevertheless,
since the crash, Quiles allegedly told a judge in a child support hearing that
he was on medical leave, The Raw Story reports.
Since
Quiles' admission, Weyker has been seeking compensation for her medical bills
from the county, which she claims are greater than $1 million, although a state
law caps such awards against government agencies at $250,000. She has also
filed a separate lawsuit against the arresting officer and might pursue a civil
rights lawsuit against the county (which is not subject to a damages cap).
Neither
the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office nor Weyker’s attorney, Todd Korb,
responded to Ars' requests for comment on Thursday afternoon.
