Tesla Dash‑Cam Footage Saves Driver, Triggers Police Officer’s Resignation in Winter Springs

When Kevin Finley pulled into his driveway after dropping his kids at daycare, he had no idea that a video camera tucked into the back of his Tesla would later become his courtroom savior.

Earlier this year, Officer Erik Schwartz stopped Finley near his Winter Springs home, alleging the driver had sped through an intersection and was attempting to flee. Schwartz’s body‑camera captured him ordering Finley to "turn around, get on your knees" before slapping handcuffs on the bewildered man for more than half an hour.

Finley, however, says he never saw any flashing lights or heard sirens. "I was very scared," he recalled, "I had no clue what was going on." The officer later wrote in his report that Finley’s car had "lost traction and fish‑tailed," a claim the dash‑cam would later refute.

When the case went to trial in July, Finley’s lawyer presented the Tesla footage. A brief glimpse of the unmarked patrol car’s lights showed the vehicle heading the opposite direction, making it impossible for Finley to have noticed or evaded it. The jury saw the same video that Finley had offered the police the day after the arrest, and they acquitted him of all charges.

"It made me feel great," Finley said after the verdict. "I love the car even more now—it saved me from jail time."

In the wake of the trial, an internal investigation was launched. Winter Springs Police Chief Matthew Tracht announced on Tuesday that Officer Schwartz had resigned amid the probe. In a Facebook post, Tracht wrote that the officer’s conduct "did not meet the standards and expectations" of the department.

Finley was surprised by the chief’s call to apologize, calling it “two years too late.” He says the apology should have arrived on the day the incident happened and that the charges should never have been filed. He also hinted at filing a civil lawsuit against the city.

The episode underscores how vehicle‑recorded video can tilt the scales of justice, while also reminding the public that police actions are subject to scrutiny, especially when they lead to unwarranted use of force.