An upstate New York district attorney who came under fire for punching a police officer after he was pulled over for speeding apologized on Monday, blaming his on-camera rant on stress at work.
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Dawley has come under fire last week after police body camera footage was released showing her brazen encounter with a Webster, New York, police officer after she was caught speeding near her home. It’s out.
“I just got home from work,” Dooley said in a videotaped apology released Monday morning.
“I was dealing with three murders over the weekend. I watched the video of an innocent taxi driver being executed and was still reeling from the horrific medical concerns my husband suffered that afternoon. was doing.”
“But we all have bad days and stress, and it was a mistake to take it out on police officers who were just doing their jobs,” she continued. “I’ve apologized to him before, and I’ll say it again, I’m sorry. Police already have a hard job, but that day I made this officer’s job even harder.”
Last Monday, a police officer tried to pull her over for allegedly going 55 mph in a 35 mph zone, but she refused to stop, prosecutors in the upstate state said.
Instead, she drove home and called Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeyer to complain about the “holeless cops” chasing her, body camera footage shows.
Despite the prosecutor’s tantrum, she still received a traffic ticket and admitted the violation last Thursday.
Gov. Cathy Hochul on Sunday referred the prosecutor’s office to a state commission tasked with investigating the agency’s conduct amid widespread calls for Mr. Dawley’s encounter with police officers to begin circulating. .
“What I did was wrong, there are no excuses. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Dooley said Monday.
“I fell short of the values that I have held throughout my 33-year career. I did not treat this police officer with the respect that he deserved. All police officers deserve respect. It’s worth it.”
In addition to pleading guilty and dealing with the fine, Dooley said she would refer the case to another district attorney’s office for a full investigation.
“If one of my assistant district attorneys had behaved like this, I would have disciplined them. So I discipline myself. I remind myself that professionalism is important. To do this, we undergo ethics training,” she said. “I am humbled by my own folly and take full responsibility for it. I will make this right.”
“I believe I am responsible for my actions and never intended to use my position to gain any advantage. No one, including the district attorney, is above the law, even traffic laws. No,” Dooley added.
