When Cops Arrest The Wrong Person | Forensic Files

Cops have little to no room for error in their job, having to deal with life or death situations daily. But what happens
when the cops mess up and accidentally arrest the wrong person? Yo, that's some [ __ ] Get up. Put your hands on the
car. Starting with the controversial case of Patrick Mumford. Patrick was just getting back home when two officers
confronted him claiming there were warrants out for his arrest. What the cops didn't realize though is that the
warrants were for a completely different man. But this didn't seem to bother them. What's your name? I'm going to ask
you one more time. We probably need to talk to you. Patrick, stand up. What happened? Patrick is justifiably
nervous here after suddenly being confronted by multiple police officers, but still manages to give the cops his
name. However, they decide that they don't believe him. And instead of asking for an ID or trying to confirm his
identity in any way, they immediately decide to do this instead. What I do, man, what I do. Y'all ain't telling what
I do, man. He just came back from his probation. I got I got taser. You coming out? You coming out? Come
out. Get your hands out now. You got 3 seconds. Three seconds. Do not reach. Get up. Put your hands on the car. Show
me the wheel. Two. Take it. Move. Move. You coming out or not? Y come out. You got a warrant. I'm not
telling you again. You better get out of the car. Y a let me know what Get out of
the car. Get out of the car. Man, y'all better leave me alone. Get out of the car. Hey, y'all better leave
me alone, cousin. Move, Fox. Move. Come on. Really? It took just 38 seconds from the police making first contact to
giving the order to tase him. According to the cops, Patrick was given numerous reasonable opportunities to comply with
officers. But because of his resistance, they were left with no choice but to stun him. But even after being tased and
detained, the cops still aren't finished roughing Patrick up. Something was going
on, man. Get off me, man. He keeps reaching for his back. All this do all that. Quit. Quit
resisting. I got him, guys. Get search whatever he's going for. The cops search Patrick to try and find whatever he was
reaching for, assuming he was hiding a weapon of his own. But predictably, they find nothing other than his wallet. This
would end up being a blessing for Patrick, though, as inside his wallet, the cops found his ID. I just seen this
stuff that Patrick Mford not going to tell me that I got a warrant. I just seen her. Here's the deal, dude. How
long I had a warrant? I don't know if you got a warrant because you're not who I'm looking for. But here's the deal.
When we ask you for ID because you look a lot like the person we're you give us ID and when you start this
whole fight nonsense, dude, all you had to do is give me this. But the way you came up asked me out of nowhere.
Remember the cops never once asked for Patrick's ID during the initial interaction. In a later report, the cops
also stated that they were worried he was reaching for a weapon when he was shuffling back in the car. So, do you
think they would have been okay with him reaching into his back pocket for his wallet? He wasn't given any chance to
correctly identify himself, but now the cop is patronizing him and saying he caught a case he didn't need to get. And
above all, he's still being manhandled and forced onto the hood of their patrol vehicle. What's the What's the guy name?
Is there someone here to stay here that look like you? Think about it. Hey, Jack. Yeah. Guess who they looking for?
Tell them who who does he look a lot like? I don't know who. He knows who it is. So, who is
it? Michael. He is not Michael. Okay, I know that now. Well, they thought it was my son.
Yes. Really? They don't even look nothing like besides the picture that we got. They look exactly Oh, wow. I'm
looking at that picture. I mean, don't Okay, are we wrong? For the record, this is the man they're looking for. It's
difficult to draw even a single similarity in appearance, but the cops apparently saw so many that they were
comfortable with discharging a weapon at Patrick. Patrick was initially charged with obstruction and violating probation
and was fixed to lose his job and position at college. Thankfully though, an internal investigation was launched
into the four officers on the scene and it was concluded that they didn't follow
proper procedure. All four of the officers were suspended and Patrick was awarded with a settlement of $100,000.
But David Wigan's story doesn't have such a happy ending. He was pulled over and forced out of his vehicle with not
so much as a second thought from the police. But they failed to realize he too was the completely wrong guy. Hands
out the window. Take your right hand. Open the door. Get on the ground. On the ground.
Did I Did you just run for me, sir? Okay. All right. Put your hand behind your back. David was put into cuffs and left
on the ground at gunpoint after cops mistook him for a suspect. Apparently, the guy they were looking for had just
fled them in a similar car with a similar license plate. And the cops pulled David over, assuming it was the
same vehicle. It's an understandable mistake, but realistically, the cops should have double-cheed the plate as
soon as they lost line of sight. Instead, they decided to wait until David was on the ground, handcuffed, and
at gunpoint before even attempting to confirm he was their guy. I'm going home. I did not win. I swear. Give me
that tag. A 2016 Dodge Challenger last name. It's out of Hammer. It's clear. This ain't
even him. Yeah, you good. You're good. I scare you. You got almost the same tag, same car. He must have passed you
going through. You good? Good. All right. You have a good one. Okay. I'm sorry about that. David was offered
little other than an apology for the whole ordeal and was sent on his way after being correctly identified as the
wrong guy. But that wasn't enough for David and in July of 2023 decided to file a lawsuit against the city of
Marion claiming gross negligence, civil assault, battery, and false imprisonment. In the complaint, David
alleges that he was forced to endure 3 minutes handcuffed on the ground with a gun to his head, not knowing if the next
second would be his last. He also notes that the apology was a mockery. As of this video's upload, the case is still
ongoing. However, when this cop in Florida was faced with the same situation, he managed to show exactly
how you should handle it. I'm not trying to get a shot over this. Do you really think we want to be out here killing
people? A deputy in Valuchia County was looking for a burglar when he stumbled upon Joseph Griffin, a man who he said
perfectly matched the description. There is a a burglary that happened. You kind
of fit the description. Let me just make Really? Let me just make sure that you're not him. Okay. All right. Um, how
about that? I have my ID. Okay. Can I see your ID? Yeah. He You literally They said white tank top, black shorts, and
they they said that you had a beard. All right. So, I'm not saying it's you, but
it was a black male. Again, not saying it's you, buddy. This cop is obviously aware of how difficult this very
interaction can be, especially if it turns out he's not who he's looking for. So he approaches him politely and
attempts to resolve the situation rather than escalate it. Just bear with me, okay? Cuz you fit the description. I'm
not saying you're guilty, but my sergeant's telling me to detain you. That's That's my sergeant. I got you. I
just had a daughter born 2 days ago, so I just got this online. It's live. Do you mind Do you mind sending it down
here? Just for now, I'm going to detain you. Look, you're not you're you're not under arrest. I'm detaining you right
now because you fit the description. Okay. Just hang tight for me. Okay, buddy. Joseph respectfully informs the
cop that he's live streaming the interaction for his own safety before being detained. He's also told that he's
not under arrest and not being charged with anything. They just don't want to give him the opportunity to run should
he end up being the suspect. We're not saying it's you, but you fit the description. That's why I'm detaining
you. If if it's not you, we're going to cut you loose and you're free to go. Okay. But I just want you to see through
us why you know seven cop cars though. Hey, everything going on is just a little bit scary. Yep. Now you're going
to This is a b It was a burglary. It's a burglary. It's serious. It's not a joke. You got these guys that are
getting ready to go home and we're coming in. So that's why you have so many. The cops are doing their best to
put Joseph at ease, but you can still imagine how stressful of a situation this would be. He's doing a good job at
staying respectful and composed, but you can definitely still tell he's on edge.
We appreciate you being very cooperative. Other people would have would just I'm not trying to get a shot
over this. You ain't going to get seriously. Do you really think we want to be out here killing people? Do you
honestly think that? I'm a military police. Like I said, brother, I've been in the same boat. After just 10 minutes
of waiting, they hear back from the witness who had just received a picture of Joseph. So, good news for you. The
witness is saying that the clothes you're wearing and all that doesn't fit the description. It It's called a show
up. So, we got a picture. Um, again, he's going to run it through, make sure it's not you, and from what it looks
like, buddy, you you'll be out of here. Okay. A showup is a method of identification where a witness is
presented with a single suspect and simply asked if that's their guy. It's also worth mentioning that when looking
for a suspect at large, police will only receive a quick rundown of the suspect's
appearance. Adding extra details can create confusion and even cause cops to let the perpetrators go if they miss
something small. This is why the description may seem vague and leads to false positives just like this one is
starting to look like. What's your name now? Joseph. Joseph. Hey man, listen. Just want to say thank you for keeping
it cool, good demeanor. We just got the picture finally from the witness and it's I get why they they went out with
you for sure. Clearly not you, but the clothing description, everything matched. So obviously these guys didn't
have that to go with they just had a prescription match pretty good. But once we finally got the picture from the
video surveillance and stuff, it was like, "No, that's not it. That's why I told him to get him out of a I
appreciate understanding." Just like that, Joseph was sent on his way back to his wife and daughter with no further
action taken against anyone at the scene. Later that day, the suspect was found and arrested. Both cases in this
video so far have involved fairly innocuous crimes, but that's all about to change in this next case, where a man
is falsely accused of robbing a bank and shooting a man in the head. You're not going to tell me how to talk. All right,
you shut your [ __ ] [ __ ] mouth. In the early hours of the 23rd of April, 2022, Grand Junction police
received a frightening phone call. 911. What's the address of your emergency? 704 Horizon Drive. I heard gunshots
outside on Horizon Drive within a minute ago. How many did you hear? Probably four or five. Later that morning, police
received a second call from a nearby hospital making them aware of a patient who had walked in on their own with a
gunshot wound to the head. It was determined that he was injured on Horizon Drive, the same street the
gunshots were heard on at 3:00 a.m. A few hours later, a man named Aaron headed to the gas station to stock up on
supplies for a marksmanship event he was attending that day. Unfortunately for him, the gas station was too located on
Horizon Drive. I went to a gas station this morning to grab some stuff and they were saying there was a shooting at 3:00
in the morning. So, so they have they have traffic blocked going out on the 70. So, we might want to look to see if
that that's going to impact our route. Little did Aaron know, traffic would be the least of his worries that day. After
stopping at the gas station, he heads back to his hotel to charge his phone. On the way there, he misses an exit, so
he uses his blinker to make a U-turn in front of the police blockade. He parks up for 5 minutes to charge his phone,
waits for his friend to show up in his car, then stops at another gas station to wait for his other friends to turn
up. It's at this point Aaron is approached by police. Can I help you? Yeah. Would you mind rolling down your
window real quick? No. What do you need? I need you to identify yourself. No. Why? Uh because All right. You're
leaving the area. Hold on. A shooting occurred. Okay. Well, can you please roll down your window more so I can talk
to you? No. What do you need? All right. Well, I need to identify you. No, you do
not. My name is Officer Padus with the Grand Junction Police Department. And this is my corporal right here. This is
corporal church. Okay. As well. Okay. All right. So, I need you to identify yourself. No, that's not how it works. I
have rights as an American citizen, right? What Aaron is saying is completely true, and he is well within
his rights to refuse to identify himself. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it's always the best
idea. Regardless, in this situation, Aaron clearly wishes to exercise this right, to which the cop isn't best
pleased. This is when things start to escalate quickly. You do not have articulable suspicion that I've done
anything. I actually do. What crime do you suspect me of committing? Possible attempted homicide. You suspect me,
actual me, of committing possible attempted homicide. Well, your cooperative behavior right now does not
help your cause. I've done absolutely nothing. I pulled into a gas station because my friends are here because
we're going to keep an eye associate. At this point, Corporal Church heads over to Aaron's friends where he discovers
that his name is indeed Aaron and that it matches up with the registration on the vehicle. Meanwhile, Officer Patas
attempts to shed a little more light on why Aaron is being highlighted as a suspect. Right. Exactly. Leaving the
area of a crime. Exactly. With a similar colored vehicle, similar nature to the description. What description of that
vehicle did you get? I got a dark and colored sedan. Two people also stated that one of the suspects may be of
African-American descent. With this information, you can see how a cop would suspect Aaron. He's a black male in a
similar vehicle. But things start to get much stranger as you dive deeper. In the
official report, it was determined there were actually two suspects, one white and one black. And a more detailed
report of the vehicle describes a car more similar to the one that Aaron's friends are driving. It seems as though
the cops are ignoring every sign and targeting Aaron for no reason. Something that only becomes more obvious as they
allow his friends to leave, but keep Aaron at the scene. My buddies that just left, they were also in a dark sedan.
But you aren't [ __ ] stopping them and questioning them. Okay. Well, I'm sorry.
Sorry. Shut your [ __ ] mouth. I don't want to [ __ ] talk. You're not going to tell me how to talk. All right. You
shut your [ __ ] [ __ ] mouth. Corporal, come up here. It's not working. He's currently recording on his phone,
but uh he's highly uncooperative with me. Uh screaming, yelling at me. Told him that his vehicle matches the
description gave in blah blah blah. He's very uh very upset right now. Why are you not cooperative? Because I don't I
don't have to be cooperative with your investigation. Well, you have to ID yourself. No, I do not. Tell me why I
have to ID. Well, Colorado state law says you do. I want you to explain why I me as a person have to ID to you.
Colorado State Law System. The cops continue to ask for Aaron's name despite having already been told by his friends
and realizing it matches up with the name on the vehicle. But perhaps the funniest part of this entire interaction
is what happens when Aaron instead asks for the sergeant's name. What's your name of your name? What's your name and
your best? I'm not going to give that to you. You have to. No. Yes, you do. No. You are a public servant. I'm asking for
your name and also have to give me your name. No, I do not. So, you want me to explain to you why I'm asking for you to
identify yourself? Yes. Cuz we had an incident happen. Wait, hold on. First, please, please give me your name and
your back. Okay. Well, no, I won't give you that right now. What do you mean you
won't? This is This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever I'm telling you. It's important to note that the
Grand Junction Police Department require police officers to identify themselves upon request, but the sergeant later
claimed he simply forgot. Aaron was never made aware of why they targeted him so directly at the scene. But in the
official police report, the cops say that the reason they suspected Aaron was because of the U-turn he made. Remember,
he simply missed his exit to the hotel. And there, the road ahead of him was closed, leaving him with nowhere else to
go. They also alleged that he didn't use a turn signal for the maneuver, something that can easily be disproved
by listening to Aaron's dash cam footage. As you'd expect, an internal affairs investigation was launched into the
officers at the scene, and it was conducted that there was no wrongdoing and the cops conducted themselves
perfectly. Aaron has since launched his own lawsuit against the Grand Junction Police Department, but as of this
video's upload, the investigation is still ongoing. Check out Aaron's channel linked below for updates on the
situation.

This video was made for educational purposes only. The video is presented to provide genuine footage of police incidents to promote transparency in government while providing educational, informative and newsworthy content allowing viewers to examine and assess public safety material. This is a fact-checked documentary using authoritative sources. The individuals shown in this video have not been convicted of any crime and are legally presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law. This material is intended solely for educational and informational purposes and represents personal analysis and commentary. Nothing presented should be interpreted as legal counsel, and the observations provided may not include all circumstances or reflect the final charges in each case. This video features real police-related footage shared to support public awareness and government transparency. The content is designed to inform and educate viewers on public safety matters and is presented as a documentary relying on verified and credible sources. All materials used were lawfully obtained through public records requests and are available to the public. The footage is utilized strictly for journalistic, documentary, and educational purposes under the Fair Use doctrine outlined in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.**

Brief Summary

The episode discusses wrongful arrests and police misconduct through the cases of Patrick Mumford, David Wigan, and Aaron.

Key points

The Wrong Arrest of Patrick Mumford. Patrick Mumford is mistakenly arrested due to a mix-up with warrants. He faces police aggression despite being innocent.
David Wigan's Ordeal. David Wigan is wrongfully detained at gunpoint by police, leading to a lawsuit for gross negligence.
Aaron's Confrontation with Police. Aaron is stopped by police under suspicion of a serious crime, leading to a tense exchange.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

What's your name? I'm going to ask you one more time.

Police confrontation with Patrick Mumford.

0:26WatchSep 25, 2023

Tension

75/ 100High tension

More from Dr Insanity

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.