CAUGHT ON TAPE: Troopers turn blind eye, give caravan of speeding officers a pass

SEATTLE -- Top state law enforcement officials will face tough questions after audio detailing multiple patrol cars speeding to a conference -- and not being pulled over by troopers tasked with stopping speeders -- was leaked online.

The audio captured Wednesday details a Washington State Patrol aircraft identifying multiple cars speeding on Highway 2 just outside of Wenatchee. The aircraft relays information to a WSP patrol car on the ground, meant to identify the offender and pull them over to issue a speeding ticket.

However, each time a car is clocked speeding by the plane flying overhead, the patrol car identifies the offending car as another officer on their way to a non-emergency Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) conference.

None of the law enforcement vehicles heard speeding on tape are pulled over, nor the officers driving reprimanded.

"Did I miss a memo today (about speeding)," one of the troopers jokes.



Many of the officers are going more than 20 mph over the speed limit. The pilot even spotted a motorcycle officer weaving in and out of traffic.

In fact, the only speeders on the road appear to be law enforcement officers speeding because they're late for the  noon conference. In the end, the WSP aircraft gives up, saying he's sorry because no one was pulled over.

"We got plenty," the dispatcher says, indicating they just couldn't pull over anyone because they were all fellow officers.

Washington State Patrol spokesman Robert Calkins confirmed the audio in the recording is authentic.