A Dallas police officer found himself on the other side of the law when he was arrested for illegally releasing body camera footage. Officer Ali Toppa, #12098, surrendered to authorities at the Irving Police Department yesterday after a warrant was issued citing an "Unauthorized Release of Body Worn Camera Recording," a misdemeanor offense.
Toppa, who’s been serving in the Dallas Police Department's Northwest Patrol Division since his appointment in September 2020, is currently on administrative leave. This, as per the department's standard procedure, is pending the resolution of an internal investigation into the matter. According to a brief statement released by the Dallas Police Department, Officer Toppa's decision to turn himself in came just one day before his arrest came to light.
The internal affairs division is tasked with probing any breach of policy associated with the improper dissemination of potentially sensitive footage recorded during police operations. However, details surrounding the nature of the footage Toppa released, or the circumstances under which the recording was made public, have not been disclosed by the Dallas Police Department.
