A Texas law firm attorney has issued a formal apology after police released body cam footage proving his client was not sexually harassed by a police officer during an arrest, reports say.
Attorney Lee Merritt of Waxahachie, Texas, apologized to the Texas State Police for accepting a case from a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted during a traffic stop this year, Fox News reported:
The woman, Sherita Dixon-Cole, insisted Officer Daniel Hubbard told her he would let her get out of a ticket in exchange for sexual favors. She further alleged he groped her and continued to proposition her during a trip to the police station.
According to Merritt’s initial press release, Dixon-Cole alleged the officer “suggested she could go home in exchange for sexual favors” and that he also “forcefully groped, fondled and vaginally penetrated [her] during a prolonged arrest.”
However, after the charges were made, the Texas Department of Public Safety released both the officer’s dash cam and body cam video recorded during Dixon-Cole’s arrest, and the hours of video do not reveal any evidence to corroborate the woman’s accusations.
“Upon learning of the allegations today, the department immediately took action to review the dash cam video. The video shows absolutely no evidence to support the serious accusations against the Trooper during the DWI arrest of the suspect,” the department reported.
The department also said it was “appalled” at the “despicable, slanderous and false accusation against a peace officer who willingly risks his life every day to protect and serve the public”:
Merritt, a civil rights attorney, quickly apologized and released his client after reviewing the video.
Agreeing that the video showed no signs of tampering, Merritt said, “Officer Daniel Hubbard seems to comport himself professionally during the duration of the traffic stop and arrest and — without more — should be cleared of any wrongdoing.”
“It is deeply troubling when innocent parties are falsely accused and I am truly sorry for any trouble these claims may have caused Officer Hubbard and his family. I take full responsibility for amplifying these claims to the point of national concern,” Merritt concluded:
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.