Man Confronts Columbia Police Officer Who Planted Drugs On Him

Lawrence Lawhorn believes two police officers planted narcotics on him during a previous arrest. Columbia Police Officers Chris Papineau and Ryan Terranova Arrested him for allegedly possessing methamphetamine. After spotting Officer Papineau conducting a traffic stop in central Columbia,
Lawrence decided it was time to confront him.

Lawhorn says that Officer Papineau unnecessarily escalated the confrontation by pointing his finger in his face, and that Internal Affairs found he had violated department policy by engaging in this behavior. The department claims that because the IA investigation was sparked by an anonymous caller who saw the video on Lawhorn’s facebook, the results are a closed record. Lawhorn believes the department is worried about the public backlash and are hiding behind exemptions to the Missouri Sunshine Law (which governs open records) out of fear.

Throughout the video Lawhorn presents evidence he believes implicates the two officers in the crime. While Officer Papineau repeatedly to denies that he was involved in planting the drugs, and even directly accuses Lawhorn of planting it, this position would soon change. Internal Affairs Sgt. Brian Tate would inform Lawhorn that several meetings had taken place surrounding the incident, and that these meetings included Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton and members of the department’s command staff.

Soon after these meetings Officers Papineau and Terranova went to the Boone County Prosecutor's Office, stating they believed that the vehicle had not been searched properly prior to the arrest. Internal Affairs Sgt. Brian Tate would tell Lawhorn that he wholeheartedly believed in his innocence, but refused to indicate if any follow would be done to determine the source of the methamphetamine.

An Internal Affairs investigation into the incident sustained charges of failing to properly search a patrol vehicle prior to transporting a prisoner against both officers. They were cleared on all other charges.