Florida driver confronted at gunpoint by police who falsely accused him of reckless driving, then he remembered his Tesla had cameras

A Tesla owner in Florida who spent almost two years contesting a criminal reckless driving charge after police accused him of speeding and fleeing from a traffic stop has been acquitted at long last after footage captured by his vehicle proved his side of the story.

Kevin Finley was confronted by a police officer outside of his home in Winter Springs back in August 2024. Having just dropped his children off at school, Finley had driven home, parked his Tesla, and closed the garage door without thinking much about his journey home. However, as the door was closing, he heard some commotion outside. When he rolled the garage door open again, he was met with a gun in his face and a police officer yelling at him.

In a recent interview with The Civil Rights Lawyer, Finley claimed that he initially believed it to be a simple case of mistaken identity. “I’m so confused, I don’t know what’s going on; at this point I think he’s got the wrong house,” he says.

However, the officer did not have the wrong house. When he tried to ask Winter Springs Police Officer Erik Schwartz why he was being arrested, he accused the driver of reckless driving, claiming he had driven into oncoming traffic and forced other vehicles to swerve. He even claimed that Finley had accelerated so fast that the back of his Tesla had fishtailed and that when the officer had signaled him to stop, Finley had ignored him and fled.

The Tesla cameras tell a different story

Schwartz’s recollection of events wasn’t exactly how Finley remembered it. He claimed he had turned left on Michael Blake Boulevard and had overtaken a vehicle appearing to prepare for a U-turn. According to Fox 13, he claimed he never saw the police car flash its lights for him to stop and was apparently unaware that Schwartz was even there. However, the officer claimed it would have been impossible for Finley not to have seen him.

The Florida father was issued four citations, but he soon remembered that his Tesla had cameras covering all angles. He was certain that the footage would prove him correct and exonerate him.

Finley immediately removed the Tesla recording device upon his release and obtained the footage. 

Schwartz testified that Finley had been speeding, going around 40mph in a 25 zone. He also insisted that the Tesla driver had passed several vehicles and crossed into oncoming traffic. The footage from the Tesla was submitted during the trial, which took place in July 2026. 

Finley was finally acquitted by a judge after waiting two years to be given the chance to show the video footage to the court. He is now reportedly considering a civil suit.