LORAIN, Ohio -- Did favoritism cost an Ohio Highway Patrol trooper her job? New video could shed new light.
Trooper Tammy Soto was a respected member of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Back in September, she was behind the wheel of her cruiser, responding to a call on Route 2 west of State Route 58, near Amherst.
Witnesses say a driver had been going eastbound in a westbound lane.
Her dashboard camera was rolling as she rushed to the scene.
When Soto arrived, she recognized the driver right away as William Lachner, a 47-year old member of the Lorain Police Department.
Trooper Soto's husband is also on the same force.
"Lachner, right?" she can be heard asking. "Yes," he answers on tape.
She then appears to coach him as she walks him to her cruiser.
"Don't say anything," she says. "Alright, I will not," he answers.
No visible field sobriety test is performed, and the questions continue inside the car.
"Do you own the car?" the trooper asks. "Yes," the officer answers. Trooper Soto then says "alright" before during off her recorder.
She later lost her job over allegedly being inefficient in the investigation.
A spokesperson with the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Tuesday that she did not follow the rules and cited policy.
It reads that "The officer should declare on the recording the reason for suspension prior to deactivation." Trooper Soto does not appear to give any reason for turning off her device.
Officer Lachner later pleaded no contest and was found guilty of OVI. He is still with the Lorain Police Department as Trooper Soto appeals the decision against her to win her job back.
