A Florida sheriff’s deputy has resigned from his position after he was involved in a car accident with a civilian.
According to the internal affairs investigation conducted by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, it was determined that former Deputy Tristan Macomber was viewing inappropriate content prior to the occurrence of the crash.
In early November 2024, the deputy had a car crash while driving south on County Road 435.
The moment his department-issued cruiser crashed into the back of another car, his body-worn camera captured the deployment of the steering wheel airbag.
In the video, Macomber can be seen tossing a cellphone onto the seat before quickly picking it up to check on the other driver.
The deputy approached the other driver and expressed concern, saying, “Hello, ma’am. Are you alright? I deeply apologize for the inconvenience.”
The new Internal Affairs report reveals that the deputy informed a sergeant that the brakes had locked up, resulting in his rear-ending of the other car that had stopped for a school bus.
The investigation ultimately revealed that Macomber had not been honest about what he had been viewing on his phone just before the accident occurred.
Macomber admitted that he was browsing through text messages in a group chat with his fellow deputies before the accident. However, the investigation revealed that he was actually looking at something visually explicit and inappropriate while on duty.
The report stated that Macomber confessed to lying initially, but later admitted that he had been viewing pornographic content on his personal phone right before the car accident.
The deputies discovered that he had violated three policies of the sheriff’s office. He had deviated from the truth, used an electronic device for an activity that was prohibited, and was likely not wearing a seatbelt while driving.
