Newly released body camera video captured the moments a high ranking South Florida officer was stopped by members of her own police force.
On March 14, Miami Gardens Police Sgt. Andrea Smith was pulled over in the area of Northwest 202nd Terrace and Second Avenue in Miami Gardens.
According to police, she was driving erratically.
“Are you serious,” said an officer.
“I’m good,” said Smith
“Come to the back of the car. Are you serious, sarge,” said an officer.
The body camera footage captured the interactions between Smith and officers.
“Really, you see how you were driving,” said an officer.
“I have a friend with me,” said Smith.
Smith was eventually told she would be put through a sobriety test.
‘I’m going to be performing some field sobriety tests,” said an officer.
But before the officer administered the test, he was told to stop by another officer.
“All right, Smith,” said an officer.
“So that means you started a sobriety test because the sergeant told you not to,” said Smith.
“Yes, they advised me that Miramar (Police) is going to take over,” said the officer.
“So, in the middle of a sobriety test, he told you no, right?” said Smith.
“They told me to stop. My sergeant told me to stop,” said an officer.
“OK. Conflict of interest?” said Smith.
Smith asked the officer if the reason for stopping the test was due to a conflict of interest.
Even in this situation, she was still the arresting officers’ superior on the force.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. He told me to stop,” said an officer.
According to their report, Smith’s eyes were bloodshot and watery, her speech was slurred and the arrest report stated that officers smelled alcohol on her breath.
The body camera footage showed officers putting handcuffs on Smith. She was eventually booked and charged with a driving under the influence and reckless driving.
7News was on the scene when she bonded out later that afternoon. Smith was walked out of the jailhouse, didn’t speak to 7News camera, covered her face with a jacket and quickly jumped into a black SUV.
Her lawyer called the arrest “ludicrous” and provided a statement:
“The arrest of Sergeant Smith is Ludacris. She was neither drunk nor impaired. This appears to be nothing more than retribution for (Smith) being a whistleblower.”
Attorney Mark Lefcourt
Her status hearings are scheduled for June 12 and June 26.
