Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Florida Cop Resigns After Security Footage Shows He Lied About Man Attacking Him During Traffic Stop

Florida Cop Resigns After Security Footage Shows He Lied About Man Attacking Him During Traffic Stop
Lake Wales Police Department

A Florida police officer resigned after footage from a home surveillance camera contradicted his claim a driver charged towards him with clenched fists. The officer justified his use of violent force against the driver with the lie.

The driver could have served four years in prison based on the officer's false report had it not been for the home surveillance footage of his arrest.


The incident happened on February 8 when Lake Wales Officer Colt Black pulled over Chris Cordero.

According to ABC News, Cordero said he was driving his "beat-up Saturn" to pick up medicine for his son at Publix supermarket.

Said, Cordero:

"I stopped at a stop sign on Third Street and I noticed the officer behind me, way before I even stopped."

You can watch the news report below.

youtu.be

He continued:

"I get out of the vehicle to ask him what's going on because he's been following me for a while."

The home security camera belonging to a neighbor showed Cordero—after being pulled over—complied with Black's commands.

It also showed Officer Black sucker punched Cordero and beat him along with fellow Officer Travis Worley—who arrived shortly after Black's first assault on the driver. Cordero was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, assault on a law enforcement officer and making a death threat to a law enforcement officer.

However, Officer Black said in his police report Cordero "immediately exited the driver door and began to charge towards my patrol vehicle." He also claimed the driver approached with closed fists.

Cordero said:

"That's absolutely not true."
"The officer requested to me that I go to the back of my car and put my hands on the trunk. Because he wants to search me to see if I have a weapon."

Black wrote in the report:

"Believing Cordero was getting ready to attack me I pointed my agency issued dart firing stun gun at Cordero and commanded him to stop charging me or I would tase him."

The surveillance footage showed Cordero step out of the vehicle, pause for about 20 seconds then turn to go back inside his vehicle.

The two appeared to be talking. Moments later, Black approached and attacked Cordero who had been standing stationary. Even though the video showed Cordero complying with Black's orders, the officer physically assaulted him, seemingly unprovoked.

Cordero recalled:

"He sucker-punched me from the back, right here, cracked a piece of my tooth out. I landed on the ground."


The violent encounter escalated when Officer Worley arrived on the scene.

According to Cordero and the video footage:

"They both jumped on me and beat me up really bad."

Black said in his official report he "delivered an elbow strike to the left side of Cordero's head" because he thought Cordero was trying to reach for a weapon.

After posting bail the day following his arrest, Cordero went back to the neighborhood and went door to door until he found the footage from one Lake Wales resident whose security camera was aimed at the traffic stop where Cordero was arrested.

Cordero's charges were dropped after Lake Wales attorney Sara Jones forwarded the footage of Cordero's arrest to the Polk County State's Attorney's Office.

According to the Winter Haven Sun, staff for State Attorney Brian Haas wrote a letter to Lake Wales Police Chief Chris Velasquez stating his office decided not to pursue charges for Cordero.

The letter read:

"Our office made the decision to no bill the charges in the above listed case. After reviewing the reports written by the arresting officer and viewing the surveillance footage that captured the incident, we noticed some issues with the case."
"We think the issues merit your agency's attention. Please inform us of your findings upon completion."

Black subsequently wrote in another report:

"I believe my perception was altered due to the high stress of the incident."

The incident also revealed the two officers had previous citizens' complaints and were investigated for heavy-handed policing.

Jones said:

"These officers who have issues with power and control target people who they know won't be believed."

The attorney added:

"They know. How can they not when I stand at the commission podium and I talk to them and I say, 'I'll tell you, I'll show you. Come talk to me. I'll tell you who they are and what they're doing and I'll help you build the cases against them."

The police department confirmed in an email Black resigned, effective February 10, and Worley—the officer who joined Black in beating Cordero—was placed on paid administrative station duty while an investigation was underway.



The incident came to light just as the Lake Wales City Commission approved a pilot body camera program for eight LWPD officers after some residents pushed for the program for two years.

Cordero—who hired the law firm of Morgan and Morgan to sue the city—required some medical attention after sustaining injuries from his interaction with Officers Black and Worley.

He told the Sun:

"If I didn't have that video, they would've prosecuted me for something I didn't do. I had to eat punches and elbows to the head for nothing—completely nothing."

More from Trending

Elon Musk; Ben Stiller
Brandon Bell/Getty Images, Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Elon Musk Slammed For Using Slur To Mock Ben Stiller For Backing Kamala Harris

Elon Musk used an ableist slur to go after actor Ben Stiller in response to his support of Vice President Kamala Harris in her failed election campaign and a misleading headline from a Daily Mail article in which Stiller said movies like 2008's Tropic Thunder probably wouldn't fly today.

The Tesla CEO, whom President-elect Donald Trump chose to co-lead his planned Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory board, shared author John LeFevre's post on X (formerly Twitter) that included a screenshot of a Daily Mail headline that read, "Ben Stiller says woke America killed 'edgier' comedy.”

Keep ReadingShow less
A wide shot of a group of younger people having a work meeting in a conference room.
Photo by Redd F on Unsplash

People Reveal Secrets About Their Job No One Is Supposed To Know

Every workplace has its issues and secrets.

And the sooner they're exposed, the better.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kash Patel
Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images

Fox Mocked For Sad Graphic Listing Kash Patel's 'Qualifications' To Be FBI Director

As President-elect Donald Trump announces his choices for Trump administration 2.0, some are proving harder for his allies to justify than others.

On Saturday, Trump announced via Truth Social that he planned to appoint MAGA loyalist Kash Patel to head up the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Eddie Murphy; Eric Murphy & Jasmin Lawrence; Martin Lawrence
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images; @jasmin_lawrence/Instagram; Noam Galai/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Eddie Murphy's Son Just Got Engaged To Martin Lawrence's Daughter—And Fans Are Overjoyed

Martin Lawrence’s daughter, Jasmin Lawrence, and Eddie Murphy’s son, Eric Murphy, are officially engaged!

The couple, together for over three years, announced the happy news on Instagram with a romantic video featuring Eric’s candlelit proposal, set to Eric Benét’s Spend My Life with You.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from TikTok videos by @jngarz, @cass.on.tour, and @flowerpower12790
@jngarz/TikTok; @cass.on.tour/TikTok; @flowerpower12790/TikTok

Kacey Musgraves Puts Florida Fan On Blast For Grabbing Her During Tampa Concert

Country singer Kacey Musgraves is currently touring the southern U.S., and while she was in Florida, one fan nearly ruined the tour for everyone when they inappropriately grabbed the artist.

While in Tampa, Florida, Musgraves was performing down on the floor with the audience, walking toward the camera for dramatic effect when an audience member grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the crowd.

Keep ReadingShow less