Cop Watching Porn At Time Of Crash

JANUARY 10--A Florida cop was watching pornography on his phone when he slammed his patrol car into a vehicle stopped ahead of him, according to an internal affairs report that accused the deputy of initially lying about the accident.

The 1:45 PM crash occurred two months ago at a Lake County intersection and prompted the cop to resign his post in the midst of the Office of Professional Standards review.

Tristan Macomber, 28, initially offered various explanations for his distracted driving. He claimed to have been on the phone with another officer at the time of the crash and contended that the squad car had mechanical issues. He would go on to claim that he had been exchanging texts with fellow officers.

However, investigators reviewed dash cam and body-worn footage that contradicted the deputy’s story. The video recorded the cruiser’s steering wheel airbag deploying and Macomber telling the 63-year-old female motorist whose Toyota Corolla he hit, “My brakes locked up.”

A Florida Highway Patrol report prepared at the time of the November 6 crash stated that Macomber (seen at right) was “inattentive” and drove in a “Careless or Negligent Manner.” The report estimated damage to the police vehicle at $10,000, while damages to the 2023 Toyota were calculated to be $5000.

Macomber eventually admitted that he was on his phone “looking at inappropriate pictures,” which he further described as “pornographic material like boobs or whatnot.” An investigator added, “Macomber stated he was looking at images that contained nudity.”

As for why he said that his car had a defective anti-lock braking system, Macomber admitted that claim was “more of a deflection than a genuine reason for the vehicle crash.” Macomber’s hesitancy to admit the pornography viewing, he said, was “lying by omission.”

The internal affairs probe found that Macomber was in violation of several professional standards, including “departure from the truth” and the prohibited use of an electronic device.

Macomber, who became a Lake County deputy sheriff in 2021, has not been charged with a crime. (6 pages)