Willow Park Police Department

I had a traffic stop encounter with Officer Nelson in May. He was very polite, understanding, and professional. I'm glad to know that he and his co-workers are protecting our little town of Willow Park.

Very unprofessional. Very corrupt. Their officers can not follow the law that they are to be enforcing.

This is the most corrupt police force I’ve ever come across in my life, and I thought that I had seen the worst of small-town, extremist cops. Let me share my experience and let me say first and foremost, that every word I share here is completely true.nnMe, my boyfriend, and my best friend planned a trip out west. I am scared to drive in Dallas traffic, so we went ahead and decided to leave in the middle of the night. I stopped in Willow Park, never having been in the town before, for my first gas stop. I went and filled my tank at one gas station & ran in the convenience store and I noticed a police car across the street at another gas station, sitting and waiting, I guess. The three of us came out with a couple sodas and some candy and went to my car. I always follow the law, but of course made especially sure I was careful since I was aware a police officer was behind us. They left and started trailing us on the road as we left the gas station. Then I supposedly committed my crime. Police lights were flashing, I pulled over. I gave my license and insurance and said I was confused, and asked what I did wrong. A female officer said that apparently, I had “pulled too far up past the line when I stopped at the red light to turn.” This was the first moment I knew that clearly we were discriminated against for being young and out late, because for starters, they started trailing me BEFORE I ever stopped at said light. So clearly, they were looking for a reason to pull us over.nnThen she said she had probable cause to search my car because it smelled like marijuana, which I found to be hilarious because we didn’t have any! I don’t smoke weed—none of us do. So there is no way in the world that my car smelled like weed. Nobody has ever smoked weed in my car, EVER. They interrogated me about it, and not really knowing what in the hell to say since I genuinely was telling the truth about not having weed, I just explained that maybe my friend’s clothes smelled like it because her boyfriend smokes. Which he does, but he hadn’t that night; I was just looking for something to say since it’s not like I had an excuse SINCE I DIDN’T HAVE ANY WEED!nnI asked her if it was really necessary to search my car. NOT because I was hiding something, but because we were on a very tight schedule and had an 8-hour drive ahead of us, and I know these police searches can be lengthy. She pretty much said I didn’t have a choice so I was like okay, whatever, search it. Her and the male cop that was with her DESTROYED my car. They took our clothes and stuff out and didn’t put it back in the bags. They spilled my mini cooler of ice into the seat and left it there, and it melted all over our clothing so my car smelled like mildew for the rest of our four day trip. They tore up the trunk, trying to look under the compartment where the spare tire goes, and it now seems to be permanently damaged—it doesn’t sit in the right position and it sinks inward.nnAll of this, and what for?? To find out we had nothing illegal, of course. As I told them. They patted us down, made us take off our socks and shoes, and interrogated us heavily. They were verbally extremely rude. Another officer showed up and initially was really rude too, saying “so, you guys transport a lot of weed?” I literally laughed. Like, is that a joke?? Even if I did smoke weed, I’d have to be pretty stupid to take it on a three thousand mile vacation. I know how Texas cops are, I’m not about to risk something like that. Eventually the third cop warmed up to us after chatting for a bit. Then, after finding nothing, they handed us our licenses and I asked if there was anything else. One of them said “do you want a ticket??” In the rudest tone I’ve ever heard.nnThere are so many problems with this whole situation. Most importantly, they had no reason to pull me over. I know that they pulled us over solely because we were young (we are early 20’s) and were out late at night. Then, they destroyed my car, for nothing. I will never pass through this town again.

Most unprofessional officer I ever encountered.