Kevin Finley, a Central Florida driver, was acquitted in July 2026 after footage from his Tesla was shown in court. Winter Springs Officer Erik Schwartz resigned in October while an internal investigation was ongoing, WESH 2 reported. Finley says the video supported his account that he never saw the officer trying to stop him. Local reports differ on the trial procedure and the description of the charge; those differences are set out below.
New details, Nov. 13, 2026: A trial transcript reviewed by First for Autos names the judge as Debra Krause, who acquitted Finley of criminal reckless driving before the case reached the jury. Finley pleaded no contest to improper passing and paid a $300 fine, and two other traffic citations were dismissed. That report dates the stop Aug. 27, 2024, while News 6 dated it Aug. 7. We explain the evidence in how Kevin Finley’s Tesla video helped clear him.
What happened to Kevin Finley
On Aug. 7, 2024, Finley was driving home in Winter Springs, Florida, after dropping his children off, News 6 (ClickOrlando) reported. A Winter Springs officer in an unmarked patrol car tried to stop him, saying he had driven through an intersection at a high rate of speed, according to WESH 2.
Finley says he had no idea police were behind him. When he pulled up at home, officers met him at gunpoint outside his garage, ordered him to his knees and handcuffed him, according to WESH 2 and FOX 35 Orlando. “I was very scared,” Finley told WESH. “I had no clue what was going on.”
His car ended up telling the story. The Tesla’s rear camera caught the patrol car’s emergency lights for only a brief moment, WESH 2 and FOX 35 reported. News 6 said the footage shows the officer, who had been heading the other way, switching on his lights and turning around “far off in the distance.” FOX 35 reported that curves in the road and nearby buildings kept the unmarked car out of view.
The outlets don’t agree on the exact charge. News 6 reported a reckless driving charge, and in body-camera audio aired by WESH, the officer tells Finley he’s getting a criminal citation for reckless driving. WESH reported Finley was never charged with felony fleeing and eluding, while FOX 35 called it a “fleeing charge.”
Timeline
- Aug. 7, 2024: Finley is stopped and held at gunpoint at his home after the officer says he failed to stop, News 6 reported.
- The next day, Finley says he went to the police department to tell officers he had video that would clear him, but “they just didn’t care,” he told WESH.
- From 2024 to 2026, the criminal case takes nearly two years to reach trial.
- July 2026: Finley is found not guilty after the Tesla footage is played in court. News 6 reported a jury cleared him on July 16. WESH and FOX 35 reported the judge acquitted him before the case reached the jury.
- After the trial, Finley files a formal complaint and the department opens an internal investigation, according to WESH and News 6.
- Oct. 20, 2026: Police Chief Matthew Tracht says the officer no longer works for the city. Police confirmed he resigned.
- Oct. 20 to 21, 2026: Finley says Tracht called to apologize. He tells reporters he plans to sue.
The video, the chief and the apology
Finley and the officer gave different accounts of the stop, and Finley credits the footage from his own car with clearing him. “I never thought that that would be what this technology is used for,” he told News 6.
Tracht’s statement, shared by all three Orlando outlets, said: “Based on the circumstances surrounding this matter, the conduct did not meet the standards and expectations I have for the officers who serve this department and our community.” In the same statement, which WESH said was posted on Facebook and FOX 35 also quoted, he added: “There is no doubt the situation could have been handled differently, and there are lessons to be learned from how it was addressed.”
Finley isn’t satisfied. “I don’t think it was a sincere apology,” he told WESH. “It was two years too late.” He told FOX 35 he had to defend himself “through the mud” for two years before getting any relief. Speaking to News 6, he called the resignation “the first step in some accountability.”
A court found Finley not guilty. News 6 and FOX 35 reported that the officer resigned while an internal investigation was still ongoing. Chief Matthew Tracht said the conduct did not meet his standards and expectations. Those reports do not establish the investigation’s eventual findings.
What’s next
Finley says he will file a civil lawsuit. WESH reported he plans to sue the Winter Springs Police Department, and FOX 35 reported he wants damages for the mental anguish he says he suffered and for his legal bills. As of Oct. 24, no filing had been reported.
Whether the department releases anything more now that the officer is gone is unclear. Tracht declined an on-camera interview with WESH. In his statement, he said he takes his “responsibility seriously to ensure our officers are held accountable” and that the department will keep reviewing its “actions, decisions, and practices to identify opportunities for improvement,” FOX 35 reported.
Finley, for his part, has warmed to his car. “I love the car even more now,” he told WESH. “It saved me from jail time.”
FAQ
Who is Kevin Finley?
He is a Seminole County, Florida, man arrested at gunpoint outside his Winter Springs home in 2024 after an officer said he failed to stop for police. He was later acquitted.
How did a Tesla help Kevin Finley?
Video from the car’s rear camera showed the patrol car’s emergency lights were visible only briefly, which backed up his account that he never saw the officer, according to WESH 2 and FOX 35.
Was the Winter Springs officer fired?
Police said Officer Erik Schwartz resigned while an internal investigation was ongoing, WESH 2 reported on Oct. 21, 2026.
Did the police chief apologize?
Finley says Chief Matthew Tracht called him to apologize and to tell him the officer had resigned.
Is Kevin Finley suing?
Finley told WESH 2 in October 2026 that he intended to file a civil lawsuit against Winter Springs police. That report does not establish whether a lawsuit was later filed.
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For how the footage was used at trial, see how Kevin Finley’s Tesla video helped clear him.
Updated November 8, 2026: Clarified the officer’s name, event dates and the limits of the cited reports.
Updated November 13, 2026: Added the judge’s name, the improper-passing plea and the conflicting stop date from the trial transcript report.