Tesla Footage Clears Man, Officer Steps Down

When Kevin Finley pulled into his driveway after dropping his kids at daycare, he had no idea a routine traffic stop would spiral into a courtroom drama. In October 2024, Officer Erik Schwartz stopped Finley near his home, accusing him of fleeing and then handcuffing him at gunpoint.

Finley, who was driving a Tesla Model 3, later discovered that the car’s rear‑camera had captured the entire encounter. The video showed the officer’s unmarked cruiser lighting up the dark street for a split second, and it contradicted Schwartz’s claim that Finley had “lost traction and fish‑tailed.”

At trial in July 2026, Finley’s defense team played the Tesla footage. The grainy clip left little doubt: Finley never saw the police lights, never heard sirens, and certainly didn’t try to bolt. The judge, after a brief deliberation, returned a not‑guilty verdict, clearing Finley of all charges.

For Finley, the vindication was bittersweet. “It made me feel great. I love the car even more now—it saved me from jail,” he told local station WESH. Yet the sting of the two‑year ordeal lingered, especially after the police department initially brushed off his request to review the video.

Within days of the acquittal, Winter Springs Police Chief Matthew Tracht announced that Officer Schwartz had resigned amid an internal investigation. The chief wrote on Facebook that Schwartz’s conduct “did not meet the standards and expectations” of the department, acknowledging that the situation could have been handled differently.

Finley, while relieved that the officer is no longer on the force, remains skeptical of the police chief’s apology. “It was two years too late,” he said. “The apology should have come the same day this happened, and these charges should never have been filed.” He plans to file a civil lawsuit against the city for the wrongful arrest and the trauma he endured.

The case has reignited conversation about body‑camera footage, dash‑cam evidence, and police accountability. As more drivers install cameras in their vehicles, Finley’s story serves as a reminder that technology can sometimes be the best witness.