Busted by body cam: Fort Worth officer accused of lying, fired

A police officer has been fired after body camera footage helped reveal that he lied about a suspect's actions, prompting a charge in the case to be rejected, police said.

Fort Worth officer Aaron Cade, who had been with the department since July 2009, has appealed.

"The burden is on the City to prove the allegations they've alleged," said Craig Driskell, Cade's attorney with the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas. "We'll see how that plays out at arbitration."

Cade had been training a probationary officer on Nov. 1 when they were dispatched to a "shots fired" call at a home.

According to a disciplinary letter, police arrested a man for discharging a firearm in certain municipalities and for outstanding warrants.

"Officer Cade told the probationary officer during the investigation that he saw the suspect leaning inside a vehicle, and that the vehicle's glove box was open when Officer Cade searched and found the gun inside it," says the letter, signed by Chief Joel Fitzgerald.

Unaware that the information provided by Cade was false, the probationary officer completed a jail booking affidavit in support of the arrest and an offense report, the letter says.

But on review, footage from body cameras worn by several officers showed that the glove box was not open as Cade had alleged, the letter says.

"This information was relevant and material to the arrest and as a result of its falsity, the case was rejected by the Tarrant County district attorney's office," it says.

In an interview during an administrative investigation, Cade admitted that he did not see the suspect leaning inside the car and that the glove box was unlocked and closed, according to the letter.

"Officer Cade intentionally provided false information to a probationary police officer he went entrusted with by the Fort Worth Police Department to train," the letter alleges. "… Officer Cade showed blatant disregard for the policies of the Fort Worth Police Department. His actions show a lack of the good moral character and are not consistent with the behavior expected of a Fort Worth Police Officer."

The indefinite suspension took effect April 13, according to the letter.

 

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