Cop Arrests Biker With Cerebral Palsy for DUI
A Utah man who suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other disabilities was stopped while riding a motorized bicycle and charged with DUI after admitting he takes medication.
As CBS Affiliate KUTV correspondent Chris Jones reports, Mike Tilt was pulled over by Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Lisa Steed on October 28 and asked to take a field sobriety test.
Tilt, whose left leg is shorter than his right, told the officer that he would likely fail the test (which requires him to put one foot in front of the other), and he did. Tilt told Steed he did not have a driver's license - he'd given it up 15 years before due to his seizures.
After asking Tilt if he took medication for his epilepsy, she handcuffed him.
According to Tilt, when he asked if he were being arrested, Steed replied, "Yeah, for DUI."
Ironically, Tilt had forgotten to take his medication that night.
In defending the trooper's actions, Utah Highway Patrol told KUTV that many people drive under the influence of prescription medications.
They also praised Steed, who was named Trooper of the Year in 2007 for her arrests of drivers suspected of being under the influence. Over the past eight she has made nearly 800 DUI arrests, roughly half that in 2009 alone.
UHP Captain Bob Anderson told Jones that he was confident Steed followed procedure and the law.
Jones himself described Steed as "absolutely dedicated to getting drunk drivers off the road."
Tilt's daughter, Courtney Tilt, told Jones, "If she's proud of taking in an epileptic patient for a DUI, I don't know what to think of her and her character."
But further investigation by KUTV found cases where Steed was chastised by judges for allegedly disregarding UHP procedures, in one instance calling her actions "especially troubling." Another judge said she "lacks credibility."
In some instances (though not in Tilt's case) Steed conducted field sobriety tests out of view of her police car's dashboard camera, counter to UHP policy.
Defense attorney Glen Neeley, who has represented several people stopped by Steed, said to Jones that Steed's goal is to pull over as many people as possible with the goal of making DUI arrests.
After KUTV began looking into Steed's record, UHP contacted the station, telling them they'd started their own inquiry of the trooper's actions.
"Was it consistent with what we're trying to do with our overall perspective of DUI enforcement and review of it? No, it wasn't," Capt. Mike Rapich told the station of the Tilt case. "This individual is not to be prosecuted for DUI."
So Tilt is off the hook - but so is Steed. UHP stands behind Steed's other DUI arrests, saying they "conform to prescribed procedure and the law."
Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved. As CBS Affiliate KUTV correspondent Chris Jones reports, Mike Tilt was pulled over by Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Lisa Steed on October 28 and asked to take a field sobriety test.
Tilt, whose left leg is shorter than his right, told the officer that he would likely fail the test (which requires him to put one foot in front of the other), and he did. Tilt told Steed he did not have a driver's license - he'd given it up 15 years before due to his seizures.
After asking Tilt if he took medication for his epilepsy, she handcuffed him.
According to Tilt, when he asked if he were being arrested, Steed replied, "Yeah, for DUI."
Ironically, Tilt had forgotten to take his medication that night.
In defending the trooper's actions, Utah Highway Patrol told KUTV that many people drive under the influence of prescription medications.
They also praised Steed, who was named Trooper of the Year in 2007 for her arrests of drivers suspected of being under the influence. Over the past eight she has made nearly 800 DUI arrests, roughly half that in 2009 alone.
UHP Captain Bob Anderson told Jones that he was confident Steed followed procedure and the law.
Jones himself described Steed as "absolutely dedicated to getting drunk drivers off the road."
Tilt's daughter, Courtney Tilt, told Jones, "If she's proud of taking in an epileptic patient for a DUI, I don't know what to think of her and her character."
But further investigation by KUTV found cases where Steed was chastised by judges for allegedly disregarding UHP procedures, in one instance calling her actions "especially troubling." Another judge said she "lacks credibility."
In some instances (though not in Tilt's case) Steed conducted field sobriety tests out of view of her police car's dashboard camera, counter to UHP policy.
Defense attorney Glen Neeley, who has represented several people stopped by Steed, said to Jones that Steed's goal is to pull over as many people as possible with the goal of making DUI arrests.
After KUTV began looking into Steed's record, UHP contacted the station, telling them they'd started their own inquiry of the trooper's actions.
"Was it consistent with what we're trying to do with our overall perspective of DUI enforcement and review of it? No, it wasn't," Capt. Mike Rapich told the station of the Tilt case. "This individual is not to be prosecuted for DUI."
So Tilt is off the hook - but so is Steed. UHP stands behind Steed's other DUI arrests, saying they "conform to prescribed procedure and the law."
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Living in Utah is horrible when it comes to the treatment of persons with disabilities by law enforcement. Nuff said.
Come on. Believe it or not that happens ALL THE TIME with intelligent, professional and well grounded police officers.
An overzealous fanatic who more interested in her own glory than common sense.
I would never compromise safety for political correctness. Please explain to me your stand point seriously if you think this guy should be operating a motor vehicle on our streets. If you can't keep your comments to yourself.
Obviously she was trying to pad her "trooper of the year" awards stats.....for arrests of those "suspected" of being under the influence.
She couldn't tell this guy had Cerebral Palsy ?
What would you do? Be honest.
I agree completely, I bet she didn't even ask him what type of medication he took (he actually didn't take).....but she instantly wanted to pad her trooper of the year numbers, so she said "prescrition meds".....you are under arrest......Overzealous is the right word.
Unless your pulled over by an overzealous fanatic who is more interested in her own fame and glory than common sense.
I want this cop to take sensitivity training.
I want ALL cops to take monthly drug tests - you know many are on prescription medications while on duty and driving - many for depression.
Why would a police union not agree to their members submitting to drug tests? Most cops were bullies growing up and many carry on the practice on the job.
The only thing that would make this joke even better was if his name were Eileen.
Joking aside,
Also FTA "Over the past eight she [Ofc. Steed] has made nearly 800 DUI arrests, roughly half that in 2009 alone.
In some instances (though not in Tilt's case) Steed conducted field sobriety tests out of view of her police car's dashboard camera, counter to UHP policy. "
Sounds like a healthy police officer to me. Makes arrests based on perceived information; the courts do not condone her actions and the UHP doesn't really seem to be concerned, nor do they seem to question whether her 799 other DUIs were handled properly.