A video was recently released on social media where a Caledonia police officer can be seen tossing a plastic bag into the back of a car during a traffic stop.
Chief Christopher Botsch released a statement explaining that the so-called “evidence” was just a ripped plastic bag and that the officer did not do anything illegal. The bag did not contain drugs.
Earlier this week, the car was pulled over for going 63mph in a 45mph zone. In the car was a driver, front passenger, and rear passengers. No one was arrested, but the driver was issued a speeding citation. One passenger was searched and later handcuffed, but the reason is unkown.
The chief’s statement was accompanied by footage from two body cams that day and it was noted that more footage will be released soon.
Botsch gave a detailed explanation of the traffic stop, claiming “A subsequent search of one of the rear passengers produced an empty corner tear (corner of a plastic baggie) from a passenger’s pocket”. This type of packaging is commonly used to hold illegal drugs, however none were found. This prompted the officer to discard the bag in the backseat.
While we would discourage officers from discarding items into a citizen’s vehicle, the video is clear that the officer is NOT planting evidence or doing anything illegal. Additionally, the empty corner tear is not itself illegal.
Christopher Botsch
The body cam footage can be found here: https://mobile.twitter.com/Steven_R/status/1419118854324772865
While the police department promised that they are looking further into the incident, as well as reviewing hours of video evidence, many took to Facebook to express their anger. Some, however, shared their support of the department. “Don’t do 65 in a 45 and put yourself into that position! What happened to simple concepts!”, one individual wrote.