Miami police have an amazing excuse for why pulled-over cop would have been speeding

In case you missed it, a Florida resident pulled over a cop last week for allegedly speeding.

Claudia Castillo posted footage of the interaction with the then-unnamed Miami-Dade police officer to Youtube, showing how she made a defacto citizen’s arrest and addressed the cop as an officer would address a speeding civilian motorist: “The reason I pulled you over today, and I’m asking you to come over and have a conversation is because… you were pushing 90 miles an hour,” she said.

Now, the Miami-Dade Police Department has spoken out about the incident.

They identified the allegedly offending officer as Daniel Fonticiella, detailed to the city’s port. An investigation into the incident has been opened, the Department said in a release.

But CBS Miami is also reporting that Miami-Dade Police Union President John Rivera says Fonticiella should be commended for his professionalism, and that there is no proof he was speeding.

Rivera also pointed out that officers receive training to drive fast.

“Assume for a second the officer was wrong. He’s still trained at high speeds. [Castillo] is not,” Rivera said.

Meanwhile, Miami’s the Miami New Times reported the city of Miami’s “outspoken” police union chief has taken aim at Castillo on Twitter, blasting out photos he says are from her Facebook account allegedly showing her drinking and boating.

Castillo told CBS said she posted the video hoping for some accountability.

“I’m sure he’s a nice guy but nobody’s above the law,” she said.

A similar incident occurred in 2011, when a female motorist named Donna Watts followed Miami officer Fausto Lopez for apparently speeding, eventually pulling him over. Lopez was later dismissed from the force.

In 2014, Slate calculated that Miami had the nation’s worst drivers, with the city ranking first in automotive fatalities, first in pedestrian strikes, and first in, “the obscenity-laced tirades of their fellow drivers.” The city of Hialeah, which is adjacent to Miami, ranked 4th.

Rob covers business, economics and the environment for Fusion. He previously worked at Business Insider. He grew up in Chicago.