A now-former Florida police officer watching pornography on his cellphone slammed into another vehicle that had stopped for a school bus flashing its light.
According to an internal investigation report obtained by the Smoking Gun on Friday, 28-year-old Lake County Deputy Sheriff Tristan Macomber rear-ended a 63-year-old woman’s Toyota Corolla, then claimed his brakes malfunctioned.
When investigators discovered that Macomber’s bodycam footage showed him operating a cellphone in the moments before the crash, the officer said he’d been texting with colleagues.
But after it was learned he was viewing “inappropriate pictures” rather than text messages, he confessed to be looking at “boobs or whatnot.”
The November crash, which caused the officer’s airbag to deploy, caused $10,000 worth of damage to his squad car and another $5,000 of damage to the vehicle he struck. No one appeared to have been injured.
While facing termination, the three-year veteran resigned from the force after admitting to “lying by omission,” Florida station WESH reported. He was also admonished for improper use of an electronic device and driving without a seatbelt.
