A police report is one of the things the judge or jury of a trial will look at before deciding a case. The same applies to insurance companies when reviewing personal injury claims. This tells you one thing: a police report is a trusted document.
Unfortunately, not all police reports are accurate. Some police officers lie on these reports. And when that happens, many people get prosecuted for crimes they did not commit.
If a fake report was filed against you or your loved one, you might need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. More on this shortly.
Common Reasons Some Police Officers Lie on Their Reports
It’s difficult to understand why some police officers lie in their reports. But the list of possibilities is endless in the world of police misconduct.
Protecting Themselves
Rogue police officers lie on their reports to protect themselves. This mostly happens when they have broken the law, usually by violating the rights of a civilian. Upon realizing they might get into trouble for their actions, they resort to lies to clear their name.
Here’s a hypothetical example of such a situation:
John, a Black teenager, delivers newspapers daily in a predominantly White neighborhood. One morning, a rogue police officer with a history of racially profiling civilians encounters John while delivering the newspapers.
The officer pulls John over and attempts to arrest him without probable cause. During the arrest, the officer tells John that he has never seen such a person in the neighborhood before and that he could be a ‘pouch pirate.’
This could be a case of racial discrimination. But to protect himself, the office writes on his report that John punched him and threatened his life. The officer then concludes that John was being arrested for assaulting a police officer.
Favoring Other Parties
Corrupt police officers might want to favor other parties by lying on their reports. For example, an individual or company being sued for negligence might want to bribe a rogue police officer to have them write a report that favors their version of events. And since police officers are expected to tell the truth, the court will likely believe their report unless someone challenges it.