DUI? Former St. Petersburg Police Chief Stop for DUI by Gulport Police Department Officer

Question: What happens when the former St. Petersburg Police Chief (and current Senior Administrator) is pulled over for a DUI investigation by an officer with the Gulfport Police Department?

Answer: Not much.

Watch the video link at the bottom of this post yourself and see if Mr. Davis received any preferential treatment.

The video shows a Gulfport Police Officer following Mr. Davis' vehicle heading north out of downtown (the bar district) at 1:42 a.m. The tape shows several classic "clues" of impairment such as driving too slow (10 mph in a 30 mph zone) weaving within the lane, crossing the center lane, driving erratically, etc.

During the traffic stop (and what would normally be a DUI investigation), Mr. Davis opens his door before the officer has even gotten to the vehicle. We all know not to attempt to exit the vehicle until the officer instructs us to do so if for no other reason then because we do not want to alarm the officer. Exiting the vehicle too soon is also a classic indication of impairment.

The best part of the video is when Mr. Davis starts "walking the line" before even being asked to perform any field sobriety exercises. It looks like he takes several steps before the officer indicates that he only wants to check his eyes and that additional sobriety testing might not be necessary.

Sure enough, Mr. Davis is sent on his way without a ticket for any of the numerous traffic infractions documented by the officer. Predictably, the Gulfport Police Department found no wrongdoing on the officer's part. Watch the video yourself and be the judge about the thoroughness of this DUI investigation.

Click here to find out more about a typical DUI Investigation in Pinellas County.

No comments: