Vero Beach - Wednesday June 19, 2024: Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey has announced the arrest of former Vero Beach Police Officer Christian Butterfield who has been charged with 1 felony count of tampering with evidence.
He is accused of not turning in drug evidence seized during a traffic stop.
In a post on the VBPD Facebook page, Chief Currey states that he ordered an internal investigation on June 3 into an incident that occurred during a traffic stop that Officer Butterfield conducted at 1:18 AM on June 1st. The internal investigation focused on possible policy violations.
"Upon review of Officer Butterfield's Body Worn Camera, it was determined that a criminal investigation would be necessary," states Chief Currey.
During the course of the internal investigation, Officer Butterfield resigned. The criminal investigation continued.
Butterfield was subsequently charged. He turned himself into the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office today, Wednesday June 19th. He was released on a $10,000 bond. The internal investigation is ongoing.
Christian Butterfield was hired by the Vero Beach Police Department last year on October 9th. He was assigned to Road Patrol.