Police in Naples, Florida, arrested Mayor Theresa Heitmann on August 28. Suspicion of drunk drivingBody camera footage also shows the mayor undergoing a breathalyzer test before his arrest.
Police were initially dispatched to a home in the 500 block of South 16th Avenue after a man and his wife reported that an unknown woman in a silver car had been following them from South 12th Avenue and South 3rd Avenue. Restaurants and shops in downtown Naples — to their residence.
The Naples Police Department said in a press release that when the couple arrived at their home, an unknown woman “parked her vehicle on the front lawn of their home,” and after a brief exchange, the couple called police.
“Don't call me the mayor,” Heitmann can be heard saying at about the 9:36 minute mark in police footage obtained by Fox News Digital after being stopped by a Naples police officer. “I'm Teresa Heitmann now. I'm not the mayor.”
Florida beach town's senior politician arrested on suspicion of drunk driving: 'I think the mayor is drunk'
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann completed field sobriety tests. (Naples Police Department)
“Okay,” the officer replied.
The officer then began to tell Heitman the details of the caller's report to police, at which point Heitman interrupted.
“They ran me off the road,” Heitmann can be heard telling police in the video obtained by Fox News Digital. “I yelled, 'Whoa!'”
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“The officer told me you ran a stop sign on 12th Street and almost hit them,” the officer said, making Heitmann laugh. “Then you chased them with your headlights flashing, and when they got to the house you stopped here. …Then they asked you what happened and you didn't answer, so they started taking off your license plate and you told them, 'I'm the mayor.'”
Police in Naples, Florida, identified the driver as Mayor Theresa Heitmann. (Collier County)
The officers told Heitmann that she might be intoxicated. The mayor said she had had one glass of wine and denied the allegations. The officers asked her to consent to a field sobriety test, which she did.
During the search, officers repeatedly asked Heitmann if she would like to remove her high heels and be searched barefoot, but she refused.
When the test is complete, The responding police officer Police said they had “probable cause to arrest Mrs. Heitman on suspicion of drunk driving.”
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Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann completed field sobriety tests. (Naples Police Department)
Authorities transported the mayor to the Naples Jail, where he agreed to submit to a breathalyzer test to measure his blood alcohol content, which police determined to be between .155 and .169, although the legal limit in Florida is .08.
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“City officials are saddened to learn of last week's incident involving our city manager,” Naples Mayor Jay Bhudeshwar said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Naples community should be reassured that city officials are committed to serving our residents, and I have 100% confidence that this incident will not impact city officials' ability to serve our community.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Heitmann's attorney, James Derek Verderamo, for comment.
Fox News Digital's Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
