We’ve reported in the past about police’s fugazi field tests testing positive for items that aren’t drugs. Well, it still appears to be a problem. Most recently, a man in Oviedo, FL, was the victim of a false positive field test, after some drywall that was in his car allegedly tested positive for cocaine.
Karlos Cashe was pulled over by Oviedo cops in March for driving without headlights. He was on probation at the time for cocaine and weed charges that he caught in 2015, but he thought he’d just drive away with a minor traffic offense. However, the situation became more serious when the cops discovered white powder on the seat and floorboard. According to WFTV 9 ABC, “He was put in handcuffs when court records showed he was out past his court-ordered curfew. Hours later, police realized the system was not up to date and Cashe had not violated his curfew.”
The cops then did the fugazi field test. “I know for a fact (that) it’s drywall because I’m a handyman,” said Cashe. “I said that continuously during the arrest stop.” A K-9 unit (also known for being a faulty gauge) was then brought in and alerted the cops to what appeared to be weed and more cocaine and those tests also came back positive. Cashe was then taken to Seminole County jail, his home for the next 90 days.
Three months later, lab tests of the substances found in Cashe’s car came back negative, showing there were no illegal drugs in his car the day he was pulled over. He was released from jail last week.